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In  a  twinkling  the  turnout  was  upset.  —  Page  206. 


2>a\>e  potter  Series 


DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 


THE  PLUCK  OF  AN  AMEKICAN  SCHOOLBOY 


sr 
EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

Author  of  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  South  Seas," 

"  Dave  Porter's  Return  to  School,"  "  Old  Glory  Series," 

"  Pan  American  Series,"  "  Defending  His  Flag,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  CHARLES  NUTTALL 


BOSTON 
LOTHROP,  LEE  &   SHEPARD  CO. 


Published,  March,  1908 


COPYRIGHT,  1908,  BY  LOTHROP,  LEE  &  SHEPARD  Co. 


All  rights  reserved 


DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 


f»  o  r  wool>   ipr  e  00 

BERWICK  &  SMITH  Co. 

Norwood,  Ma:-s. 

U.  S.  A. 


5149893 


Lti 
i, 


PREFACE 

"DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH"  is  a  com-  - 
plete  story  in  itself,  but  forms  the  fourth  volume 
in  a  line  issued  under  the  general  title  of  "Dave 
Porter  Series." 

In  the  first  volume,  entitled  "Dave  Porter  at 
Oak  Hall,"  I  introduced  a  typical  American  lad, 
full  of  life  and  vigor,  and  related  the  particulars 
of  his  doings  at  an  American  boarding  school  of 
to-day — a  place  which  is  a  little  world  in  itself.  At 
this  school  Dave  made  both  friends  and  enemies, 
proved  that  he  was  a  natural  leader,  and  was  ad- 
mired accordingly. 

The  great  cloud  over  Dave's  life  was  the  ques- 
tion of  his  parentage.  His  enemies  called  him 
"that  poorhouse  nobody,"  which  hurt  him  deeply. 
He  made  a  discovery,  and  in  the  second  volume  of 
the  series,  entitled  "Dave  Porter  in  the  South 
Seas,"  we  followed  him  on  a  most  unusual  voyage, 
at  the  end  of  which  he  found  an  uncle,  and  learned 
something  of  his  father  and  sister,  who  were  at 
that  time  traveling  in  Europe. 

Dave  was  anxious  to  meet  his  own  family,  but 
could  not  find  out  just  where  they  were.  While 


iv  PREFACE 

waiting  for  word  from  them,  he  went  back  to  Oak 
Hall,  and  in  the  third  volume  of  the  series,  called 
3  -  "Dave  Porter's  Return  to  School,"  we  learned 
how  he  became  innocently  involved  in  a  mysterious 
series  of  robberies,  helped  to  win  two  great  games 
of  football,  and  brought  the  bully  of  the  academy 
to  a  realization  of  his  better  self. 

As  time  went  by  Dave  longed  more  than  ever 
to  meet  his  father  and  his  sister,  and  how  he  went 
in  search  of  them  I  leave  the  pages  which  follow 
to  relate.  As  before,  Dave  is  bright,  manly,  and 
honest  to  the  core,  and  in  those  qualities  I  trust 
my  young  readers  will  take  him  as  their  model 
throughout  life. 

Once  more  I  thank  the  thousands  who  have 
taken  an  interest  in  what  I  have  written  for  them. 
May  the  present  story  help  them  to  despise  those 
things  which  are  mean  and  hold  fast  to  those  things 
which  are  good. 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER. 

January  10,  1908. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    ON  THE  TRAIN i 

II.  A  Row  IN  A  RESTAURANT  .         ....  12 

III.    OFF  THE  TRACK 22 

IV.  WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  THE  BARN  ....  32 

V.    BACK  TO  OAK  HALL 42 

VI.    Gus  PLUM'S  CONFESSION 51 

VII.  How  JOB  HASKERS  WENT  SLEIGH-RIDING  .        .  59 

VIII.    A  MYSTERIOUS  LETTER 69 

IX.  DAVI  TALKS  TO  THE  POINT         ....  78 

X.  AN  ADVENTURE  ON  ROBBER  ISLAND     ...  87 

XI.    A  HUNT  FOR  AN  ICE-BOAT 97 

XII.  THE  MEETING  OF  THE  GEE  EYES         .        .        .107 

XIII.  An  INTERRUPTED  INITIATION        ....  116 

XIV.  GOOD-BYE  TO  OAK  HALL 125 

XV.  DAVE  AND  ROGER  IN  LONDON      ....  134 

XVI.  SOME  IMPORTANT  INFORMATION     .        .        .        .143 

XVII.    ON  THE  NORTH  SEA 152 

XVIII.     IN  NORWAY  AT  LAST 162 

XIX.    OFF  TO  THE  NORTHWARD 171 

XX.  AN  ENCOUNTER  WITH  WOLVES    .        .        .        .  181 
V 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXI.  CAUGHT  IN  A  WINDSTORM        .        .        .        .    190 

XXII.  SNOWBOUND  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS       .        .        •    200 

XXIII.  LEFT  IN  THE  DARK 210 

XXIV.  THE  BURGOMASTER  OF  MASOLGA      .        .        .    219 
XXV.  To  THE  NORTHWARD  ONCE  MORE    .        .        .    228 

XXVI.    DAYS  OF  WAITING 237 

XXVII.  DAVE  STRIKES  OUT  ALONE       .        .        .        .246 

XXVIII.    A  JOYOUS  MEETING .255 

XXIX.     BEARS  AND  WOLVES 264 

XXX.  HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION         .        .        .        .274 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

In  a  twinkling  the  turnout  was  upset  (page 

206) Frontitptece 

FACING  PAOB 

Roger  shoved  it  aside  and  it  struck  Isaac  Plud- 
ding  full  on  the  stomach 26 

"  Can't   stop,  I'm   on   the   race-track ! "  yelled 
Shadow 58 

The  mule   shied  to  one   side   and  sent  Dave 
sprawling  on  the  ice 100 

What  was  left  of  the  camp-fire  flew  up  in  the 
air 120 

Once  they  ran  close  to  a  three-masted  schooner  .     160 

"  Out  with  the  lot  of  them  1  I  will  take  the 
rooms" 228 

Dave  received  a  blow  from  a  rough  paw  that 
sent  him  headlong 268 


(Yii) 


DAVE    PORTER   IN   THE 
FAR    NORTH 

CHAPTER  I 

ON  THE  TRAIN 

"HERE  we  are  at  the  station,  Dave!" 

"Yes,  and  there  is  Phil  waiting  for  us,"  answered 
Dave  Porter.  He  threw  up  the  car  window  has- 
tily. "Hi,  there,  Phil,  this  way!"  he  called  out, 
lustily. 

A  youth  who  stood  on  the  railroad  platform, 
dress-suit  case  in  hand,  turned  hastily,  smiled 
broadly,  and  then  ran  for  the  steps  of  the  railroad 
car.  The  two  boys  already  on  board  arose  in 
their  seats  to  greet  him. 

"How  are  you,  Dave?  How  are  you,  Ben?" 
he  exclaimed  cordially,  and  shook  hands.  "I  see 
you've  saved  a  seat  for  me.  Thank  you.  My,  but 
it's  a  cold  morning,  isn't  it?" 

"I  was  afraid  you  wouldn't  come  on  account 
of  the  weather,"  answered  Dave  Porter.  "How 
are  you  feeling?" 


2      DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"As  fine  as  ever,"  answered  Phil  Lawrence. 
"Oh,  it  will  take  more  than  one  football  game  to 
kill  me,"  he  went  on,  with  a  light  laugh. 

"I  trust  you  never  get  knocked  out  like  that 
again,  Phil,"  said  Dave  Porter,  seriously. 

"So  do  I,"  added  Ben  Basswood.  "The  game 
isn't  worth  it." 

"Mother  thought  I  ought  to  stay  home  until 
the  weather  moderated  a  bit,  but  I  told  her  you 
would  all  be  on  this  train  and  I  wanted  to  be  with 
the  crowd.  Had  a  fine  Thanksgiving,  I  suppose." 

"I  did,"  returned  Ben  Basswood. 

"Yes,  we  had  a  splendid  time,"  added  Dave 
Porter,  "only  I  should  have  been  better  satisfied 
if  I  had  received  some  word  from  my  father  and 
sister." 

"No  word  yet,  Dave?" 

"Not  a  line,  Phil,"  and  Dave  Porter's  usually 
bright  face  took  on  a  serious  look.  "I  don't  know 
what  to  make  of  it  and  neither  does  my  Uncle 
Dunston." 

"It  certainly  is  queer.  If  they  went  to  Europe 
your  letters  and  cablegrams  ought  to  catch  them 
somewhere.  I  trust  you  get  word  soon." 

"If  I  don't,  I  know  what  I  am  going  to  do." 

"What?" 

"Go  on  a  hunt,  just  as  I  did  when  I  found  my 
uncle,"  was  Dave  Porter's  reply. 

While  the  three  boys  were  talking  the  train  had 


ON  THE  TRAIN  3 

rolled  out  of  the  station.  The  car  was  but  half 
filled,  so  the  lads  had  plenty  of  room  in  which 
to  make  themselves  comfortable.  Phil  Law- 
rence stowed  away  his  suit  case  in  a  rack  overhead 
and  settled  down  facing  the  others.  He  gave  a 
yawn  of  satisfaction. 

"I  can  tell  you,  it  will  feel  good  to  get  back 
to  Oak  Hall  again,"  he  observed.  "You  can't 
imagine  how  much  I've  missed  the  boys  and  the 
good  times,  even  if  I  was  laid  up  in  bed  with  a 
broken  head." 

"You'll  get  a  royal  reception,  Phil,"  said  Dave. 
"Don't  forget  that  when  you  went  down  you  won 
the  football  game  for  us." 

"Maybe  I  did,  Dave,  but  you  had  your  hand 
in  winning,  too,  and  so  did  Ben." 

"Well,  if  the  fellows Say,  here  comes 

Nat  Poole."  Dave  lowered  his  voice.  "I  don't 
think  he'll  want  to  see  me." 

As  Dave  spoke,  a  tall,  fastidiously  dressed  youth 
came  down  the  car  aisle.  He  was  not  bad-looking, 
but  there  was  an  air  of  dissipation  about  him  that 
was  not  pleasant  to  contemplate.  He  wore  a  fur- 
trimmed  overcoat  and  a  cap  to  match,  and  heavy 
fur-lined  gloves. 

"Hello!"  he  exclaimed,  on  catching  sight  of 
Phil  Lawrence.  "Going  back  to  the  Hall,  eh?" 

"I  am,  and  you  are  going  back  too,  Nat,  I  sup- 
pose." 


4      DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Yes,"  drawled  Nat  Poole.  He  turned  and 
caught  sight  of  Dave  and  Ben.  "Humph!"  he 
muttered,  and  without  saying  more  continued  on 
his  way  down  the  aisle  and  through  to  the  next 
car  of  the  train. 

"He's  real  sociable,  he  is,"  observed  Ben  Bass- 
wood,  with  a  grin. 

"I  knew  he  wouldn't  want  to  see  me,"  said 
Dave. 

"What's  up — more  trouble,  Dave?"  questioned 
Phil.  "Remember,  I've  been  away  from  Oak 
Hall  so  long  I've  rather  lost  track  of  things." 

"This  trouble  didn't  occur  at  the  school,"  an- 
swered Dave.  His  face  grew  a  trifle  red  as  he 
spoke. 

"It  happened  back  at  Crumville,"  broke  in  Ben, 
and  winked  one  eye.  "You  see,  Nat  wanted  to 
come  to  a  Thanksgiving  party  the  Wadsworths 
gave.  But  Dave  told  Jessie  just  what  sort  Nat 
was,  and  she  left  him  out  at  the  last  moment.  It 
made  Nat  furious,  and  I've  heard  that  he  is  going 
to  do  his  best  to  square  up  with  Dave  this  winter." 

"You're  mistaken,  Ben;  I  didn't  have  to  tell  Jes- 
sie anything,"  corrected  Dave.  "A  fellow  named 
Bangs  wanted  Nat  invited,  but  Jessie  didn't  want 
him  and  neither  did  her  folks.  Bangs  got  mad 
over  it,  and  said  he  wouldn't  come  either,  and  he 
and  Nat  went  to  a  show  instead." 

"Well,  I  heard  that  Nat  blamed  it  on  you." 


ON  THE  TRAIN  5 

"He  is  apt  to  blame  everything  on  me — if  he 
can,"  said  Dave,  with  a  short,  hard  laugh.  "It's 
his  style.  I  suppose  he'll  even  blame  me  for  get- 
ting Gus  Plum  to  reform." 

"Well,  you  did  get  Gus  to  do  that,"  declared 
Ben,  heartily.  "It's  the  best  thing  I  ever  heard  of, 
too." 

"If  Plum  cuts  Poole,  what's  the  dude  to  do?" 
asked  Phil.  "The  two  used  to  be  great  cronies." 

To  these  words  Dave  did  not  reply.  He  was 
wiping  the  steam  from  the  car  window.  Now  he 
peered  out  as  the  train  came  to  a  stop. 

"Hurrah !  Here  we  are !"  he  cried,  and  leaped 
from  his  seat. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  demanded  Ben. 

"After  Roger.  I  know  he'll  be  at  the  station, 
for  I  sent  him  a  special  message,"  and  away  went 
Dave  after  Roger  Morr,  one  of  his  best  and  dear- 
est schoolmates.  The  two  met  on  the  car  platform, 
and  as  the  train  moved  off  again,  both  came  in  to 
join  Ben  and  Phil. 

To  those  who  have  read  the  former  volumes  in 
this  "Dave  Porter  Series"  the  boys  already  men- 
tioned need  no  special  introduction.  They  were 
all  pupils  of  Oak  Hall,  a  first-class  boarding  school 
located  in  the  heart  of  one  of  our  New  England 
States.  At  the  academy  Dave  Porter  seemed  to 
be  a  natural  leader,  although  that  place  had  been 
at  times  disputed  by  Nat  Poole,  Gus  Plum,  and 


6      DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

others.  It  was  wonderful  what  a  hold  Dave  had 
on  his  friends,  considering  his  natural  modesty. 
Physically  he  was  well  built  and  his  muscles  were 
those  of  a  youth  used  to  hard  work  and  a  life  in 
the  open  air.  Yet,  though  he  loved  to  run,  row, 
swim,  and  play  games,  Dave  did  not  neglect  his 
studies,  and  only  a  short  time  before  this  story 
opens  had  won  the  Oak  Hall  medal  of  honor,  of 
which  he  was  justly  proud. 

In  times  gone  by  Dave's  enemies  had  called  him 
"a  poorhouse  nobody" — something  which  had 
caused  him  a  great  deal  of  pain.  When  a  child, 
he  had  been  picked  up  alongside  of  the  railroad 
tracks  by  strangers  and  taken  to  the  Crumville 
poorhouse.  At  this  institution  he  remained  until 
he  was  nine  years  old,  when  a  broken-down  college 
professor  named  Caspar  Potts,  who  had  turned 
farmer,  took  him  out  and  gave  him  a  home.  At 
that  time  Caspar  Potts  was  in  the  grasp  of  a  hard- 
hearted money  lender,  Aaron  Poole,  the  father  of 
Nat  Poole,  already  mentioned,  and  the  outlook 
soon  became  very  dark  for  both  man  and  boy. 

Then  came  an  unexpected  turn  of  affairs,  and 
from  that  moment  Dave's  future  seemed  assured. 
As  related  in  my  first  volume,  "Dave  Porter  at 
Oak  Hall,"  the  boy  called  upon  Mr.  Oliver  Wads- 
worth,  a  rich  manufacturer  of  that  neighborhood. 
The  gentleman  had  a  daughter  Jessie,  a  bright- 
eyed  miss  some  years  younger  than  Dave.  She 


ON  THE  TRAIN  7 

was  waiting  to  take  an  automobile  ride  when  the 
gasoline  tank  of  the  machine  caught  fire.  It  was 
plucky  Dave  who  rushed  in  and,  at  the  peril  of 
his  own  life,  saved  the  girl  from  being  fatally 
burned. 

The  Wadsworths  were  more  than  grateful,  and 
when  Mr.  Wadsworth  discovered  that  Caspar 
Potts  was  one  of  his  former  college  teachers,  he 
insisted  that  both  the  old  man  and  Dave  come  to 
live  at  his  mansion.  He  took  a  great  interest  in 
Dave,  more  especially  as  he  had  had  a  son  about 
Dave's  age  who  had  died. 

"The  lad  must  go  to  some  boarding  school," 
said  Oliver  Wadsworth,  and  at  his  own  ex- 
pense he  sent  Dave  to  Oak  Hall.  With  Dave 
went  Ben  Basswood,  a  friend  of  several  years' 
standing. 

Dave  made  friends  with  great  rapidity.  First 
came  Roger  Morr,  the  son  of  a  United  States  sen- 
ator, then  Phil  Lawrence,  whose  father  was  a 
wealthy  ship-owner,  Sam  Day,  who  was  usually 
called  "Lazy,"  because  he  was  so  big  and  fat, 
"Buster"  Beggs,  "Shadow"  Hamilton,  and  a  num- 
ber of  others,  whom  we  shall  meet  as  our  story 
proceeds. 

For  a  while  all  went  well  with  Dave,  but  then 
came  trouble  with  Nat  Poole,  who  had  come  to 
the  Hall,  and  with  Gus  Plum,  the  school  bully, 
and  Chip  Macklin,  his  toady.  The  cry  of  "poor- 


8      DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

house  nobody"  was  again  raised,  and  Dave  felt 
almost  like  leaving  Oak  Hall  in  disgust. 

"I  must  find  out  who  I  really  am,"  he  told  him- 
self, and  fortune  presently  favored  him.  By  a 
curious  turn  of  circumstances  he  fell  in  with  an 
old  sailor  named  Billy  Dill.  This  tar  declared 
he  knew  Dave  or  somebody  who  looked  exactly  like 
him.  This  unknown  individual  was  on  an  island 
in  the  South  Seas. 

"My  father's  ships  sail  to  the  South  Seas,"  Phil 
Lawrence  told  Dave,  and  the  upshot  of  the  matter 
was  that  Dave  took  passage  on  one  of  the  vessels, 
in  company  with  the  ship-owner's  son,  Roger  Morr, 
and  Billy  Dill. 

As  already  related  in  the  second  volume  of  this 
series,  "Dave  Porter  in  the  South  Seas,"  the  voy- 
age of  the  Stormy  Petrel  proved  to  be  anything 
but  an  uneventful  one.  Fearful  storms  arose,  and 
Dave  and  some  others  were  cast  away  on  an  unin- 
habited island.  But  in  the  end  all  went  well,  and, 
much  to  the  lad's  joy,  he  found  an  uncle  named 
Dunston  Porter. 

"Your  father  is  my  twin  brother,"  said  Dun- 
ston Porter.  "He  is  now  traveling  in  Europe,  and 
with  him  is  your  sister  Laura,  about  one  year 
younger  than  yourself.  We  must  return  to  the 
United  States  at  once  and  let  them  know  of  this. 
They  mourn  you  as  dead." 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  money  in  the  Porter 


ON  THE  TRAIN  9 

family,  a  fair  share  of  which  would  come  to  Dave 
when  he  became  of  age.  The  whole  party  re- 
turned to  California  and  then  to  the  East,  and  word 
was  at  once  sent  to  Europe,  to  David  Breslow 
Porter,  as  Dave's  father  was  named.  To  the  sur- 
prise of  all,  no  answer  came  back,  and  then  it 
was  learned  that  Mr.  Porter  and  his  daughter 
Laura  had  started  on  some  trip,  leaving  no  ad- 
dress behind  them. 

"This  is  too  bad,"  said  Dave.  "I  wanted  so 
much  to  see  them." 

"We'll  get  word  soon,  never  fear,"  replied  his 
uncle,  and  then  advised  Dave  to  finish  out  his 
term  at  Oak  Hall,  Mr.  Porter  in  the  meantime  re- 
maining a  guest  of  the  Wadsworth  family. 

How  Dave  went  back  to  Oak  Hall,  and  what 
happened  to  him  there  has  already  been  related 
in  detail  in  "Dave  Porter's  Return  to  School." 
His  enemies  could  no  longer  twit  him  with  being 
a  "poorhouse  nobody,"  yet  they  did  all  they  could 
to  dim  his  popularity  and  get  him  into  trouble. 

"He  shan't  cut  a  dash  over  me,  even  if  he  has 
money,"  said  Nat  Poole,  and  to  this  Gus  Plum, 
the  bully,  eagerly  agreed.  There  was  likewise  an- 
other pupil,  Nick  Jasniff,  who  also  hated  Dave, 
and  one  day  this  fellow,  who  was  exceedingly  hot- 
tempered,  attempted  to  strike  Dave  down  with 
a  heavy  Indian  club.  It  was  a  most  foul  attack 
and  justly  condemned  by  nearly  aH  who  saw  it, 


io    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

and  thoroughly  scared  over  what  he  had  attempted 
to  do,  Nick  Jasniff  ran  away  from  school  and 
could  not  be  found. 

There  had  been  a  number  of  robberies  around 
Oakdale,  where  the  academy  was  located,  and  one 
day  when  Dave  and  his  chums  were  out  ice-boating 
they  had  come  on  the  track  of  two  of  the  robbers. 
Then  to  his  surprise  Dave  learned  that  Nick 
Jasniff  was  also  implicated  in  the  thefts.  He  knew 
that  Jasniff  and  Gus  Plum  were  very  intimate,  and 
wondered  if  the  bully  of  the  school  could  be  one 
of  the  criminals  also.  At  length,  one  snowy  day, 
he  saw  Plum  leave  the  Hall  and  followed  the  fel- 
low. Plum  made  for  the  railroad,  where  there 
was  a  deep  cut,  and  into  this  cut  he  fell,  just  as 
a  train  was  approaching.  At  the  peril  of  his  life 
Dave  scrambled  to  the  bottom  of  the  opening  and 
drew  the  bully  from  the  tracks  just  as  the  train 
rolled  by. 

If  ever  a  boy  was  conquered,  it  was  Gus  Plum 
at  that  time.  At  first  he  could  not  realize  that 
Dave  had  saved  him.  "To  think  you  would  do 
this  for  me — you!"  he  sobbed.  "And  I  thought 
you  hated  me!"  And  then  he  broke  down  com- 
pletely. He  confessed  how  he  had  tried  to  injure 
Dave  and  his  chums,  but  said  he  had  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  robberies.  Nick  Jasniff  had  wanted 
him  to  go  in  with  the  robbers,  but  he  had  declined. 

"I  am  going  to  cut  Jasniff  after  this,"  said  Gus 


ON  THE  TRAIN  11 

Plum,   "and  I  am  going  to  cut  Nat  Poole,  too. 
I  want  to  make  a  man  of  myself — if  I  can." 

But  it  was  hard  work.  A  short  time  after  the 
railroad  incident  the  two  robbers  were  caught  and 
sent  to  prison,  to  await  trial,  and  Plum  had  to 
appear  as  a  witness  for  the  state  and  tell  how  he 
had  been  implicated.  In  the  meantime  Nick  Jas- 
niff  ran  away  to  Europe,  taking  several  hundred 
dollars  of  the  stolen  funds  with  him.  Dave 
thought  he  had  seen  the  last  of  the  young  rascal, 
but  in  this  he  was  mistaken,  as  the  events  which 
followed  proved. 


CHAPTER  II 

A   ROW   IN   A    RESTAURANT 

THE  majority  of  the  boys  had  been  home  only 
for  the  Thanksgiving  holidays.  The  exception 
was  poor  Phil  Lawrence,  who  had  been  laid  up 
for  a  number  of  weeks  as  the  result  of  a  blow  on 
the  head  while  playing  a  game  of  football.  Phil 
said  he  felt  as  well  as  ever,  but  he  was  somewhat 
pale  and  in  no  humor  for  anything  in  the  way  of 
roughness. 

As  the  train  stopped  at  one  station  and  another 
along  the  line,  it  began  to  fill  up  with  passengers, 
including  a  goodly  number  of  Oak  Hall  students. 
At  one  place  Sam  Day  and  Shadow  Hamilton 
came  on  board,  followed  by  half  a  dozen  snow- 
balls, sent  after  them  by  boys  who  had  come  to 
see  them  off. 

"Hi!  stop  that!"  cried  Sam  Day,  as  he  tried 
to  dodge,  and  just  then  a  snowball  meant  for  his 
head  took  a  somewhat  stout  man  in  the  ear.  The 
man  uttered  a  cry  of  surprise,  slipped  on  the  plat- 
form of  the  car,  and  fell  flat,  crushing  his  valise 
under  him.  At  this  a  shout  of  laughter  rang  out 

12 


A  ROW  IN  A  RESTAURANT  13 

from  the  depot  platform,  and  the  lads  standing 
there  lost  no  time  in  disappearing. 

"You — you  villains !"  roared  the  stout  man  when 
he  could  catch  his  breath.  "I'll — I'll  have  you 
locked  up  I" 

"It  wasn't  my  fault,"  answered  Sam  Day,  try- 
ing hard  to  suppress  the  grin  on  his  face.  "Shall 
I  help  you  up?" 

"No,"  grunted  the  man,  and  arose  slowly.  "Do 
you  know  I  have  a  dozen  fresh  eggs  in  that 
valise?" 

"Sorry,  I'm  sure." 

"A  dozen  eggs!"  cried  Shadow  Hamilton. 
"Well,  I  never!  Say,  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  a 
story.  Once  a  man  bought  some  eggs  that  weren't 
strictly  fresh,  and " 

"Pah!  who  wants  to  listen  to  your  stories?"  in- 
terrupted the  stout  man.  "You  had  better  pay 
for  the  eggs  that  are  smashed,"  and  he  entered 
the  car  in  anything  but  a  pleasant  humor. 

Dave  had  come  to  the  car  door  to  greet  Sam  and 
Shadow  and  conduct  them  to  a  seat  near  his  own. 
The  stout  man  was  so  upset  mentally  that  he 
bumped  roughly  into  the  youth. 

"Get  out  of  my  way,  will  you?"  grunted  the 
irate  passenger. 

"Excuse  me,  I  didn't  know  you  owned  the  whole 
aisle,"  said  Dave,  coldly.  He  did  not  like  the 
manner  in  which  he  had  been  addressed. 


I4    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"See  here,  are  you  another  one  of  them  good- 
for-nothing  schoolboys?"  bellowed  the  stout  indi- 
vidual. "If  you  are,  I  want  you  to  understand 
you  can't  run  this  train — not  as  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned, anyhow." 

Dave  looked  at  the  man  for  a  moment  in  silence. 
"You  are  very  polite,  I  must  say,"  he  observed. 
"I  haven't  done  anything  to  you,  have  I  ?" 

"No,  but  you  young  bloods  are  all  in  together. 
I  know  you !  Last  spring  I  was  on  the  train  with 
a  lot  of  college  boys,  and  they  tried  to  run  things 
to  suit  themselves.  But  we  fixed  'em,  we  did. 
And  we'll  fix  you,  too,  if  you  try  to  run  matters 
here,"  and  with  a  savage  shake  of  his  head  the 
stout  man  passed  down  the  aisle  and  dropped 
heavily  into  the  first  vacant  seat  he  reached. 

"Isn't  he  a  peach?"  murmured  Sam  Day  to 
Dave.  "Meekest  man  I  ever  saw,  and  ought  to 
have  a  monument  for  politeness." 

"I  hope  all  his  eggs  are  smashed,"  said  Shadow 
Hamilton.  "He  certainly  deserves  it." 

"Shouldn't  wonder  if  they  are — he  came  down 
hard  enough,"  answered  Dave. 

By  good  luck  all  the  students  had  seats  close 
to  each  other,  and  as  the  train  rolled  along  they 
told  of  their  various  holiday  experiences  and  dis- 
cussed school  matters. 

"Just  four  weeks  and  then  we'll  close  down  for 
Christmas,"  said  Roger. 


A  ROW  IN  A  RESTAURANT  15 

"We  ought  to  have  lots  of  fun,"  said  Ben. 
"We  can  go  skating  and  ice-boating,  and  we  can 
build  a  fort " 

"And  snowball  Pop  Swingly  and  Horsehair," 
interrupted  Sam,  mentioning  the  janitor  of  Oak 
Hall  and  the  driver  for  the  institution.  "Don't 
forget  them  or  they'll  feel  slighted." 

"What's  the  matter  with  snowballing  Job  Has- 
kers?"  asked  Phil,  mentioning  a  teacher  who  was 
anything  but  popular  with  the  students. 

"Oh,  we'll  attend  to  him,  never  fear,"  answered 
Roger  Morr. 

"Has  anybody  heard  from  Plum?"  questioned 
Sam,  during  a  lull  in  the  conversation. 

"I  got  a  letter  from  him,"  answered  Dave,  see- 
ing that  nobody  else  replied.  "He  is  afraid  he  is 
going  to  have  a  hard  time  of  it  to  reform.  I 
hope  you  fellows  will  treat  him  as  well  as  you 
can." 

"I  shall,"  said  the  senator's  son,  and  several 
nodded. 

"I  think  I  have  always  treated  him  better  than 
he  deserved,"  said  Shadow  Hamilton.  He  could 
not  forget  what  serious  trouble  the  former  bully 
of  Oak  Hall  had  once  caused  him,  when  Doctor 
Clay's  valuable  collection  of  postage  stamps  had 
disappeared. 

It  had  been  snowing  slightly  since  morning,  and 
now  the  flakes  began  to  come  down  thicker  than 


16    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

ever.  As  a  consequence  the  engineer  of  the  train 
could  not  see  the  signals  ahead  and  had  to  run 
slowly,  so  that  when  the  Junction  was  gained, 
where  the  boys  had  to  change  for  Oakdale,  they 
were  half  an  hour  late. 

"We've  missed  the  connection  and  must  remain 
here  for  just  an  hour  and  a  quarter,"  declared 
Dave,  after  questioning  the  station  master.  "We 
can't  get  to  Oak  Hall  until  after  dark." 

"I  move  we  have  something  to  eat,"  said  Roger. 
"A  sandwich,  a  piece  of  mince-pie,  and  a  cup  of 
hot  chocolate  wouldn't  go  bad." 

"Second  the  commotion!"  cried  Ben.  "All  in 
favor  raise  their  left  ear." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  said 
Shadow.  "Two  men  went  to  a  restaurant  and 
ordered " 

"Fried  snakes'  livers  on  mushrooms,"  inter- 
rupted Dave.  "You've  told  that  story  before." 

"No,  I  didn't,  and  it  wasn't  fried " 

"I  know  what  he  means,"  said  Phil.  "It  was 
robins'  wings  salted  in  sauerkraut." 

"It  wasn't.    This  was  an  order  of " 

"Blue  pumpkin  rinds  with  mackerel  sauce,"  in- 
terrupted Sam  Day.  "Very  fine  dish.  I  ate  it 
once,  when  I  was  dining  at  the  White  House  with 
the  President." 

"It  wasn't  pumpkin  rinds,  or  anything  like  it. 
It  was  a  plain  order  of " 


A  ROW  IN  A  RESTAURANT  17 

"Cherry  roast,  with  minced  sunflowers?"  sug- 
gested Roger.  "The  girls  at  Vassar  dine  on  'em 
regularly,  after  playing  football." 

"This  was  a  plain  everyday  order  of  pork  and 
beans,"  shouted  Shadow,  desperately.  "And  after 
the  men  got  'em,  what  do  you  think  they  did? 
Oh,  this  is  a  good  one;"  and  Shadow's  eyes  began 
to  sparkle. 

"Found  fault,  I  suppose,  because  the  beans 
weren't  from  Boston,"  said  Dave. 

"No." 

"Don't  keep  us  waiting,  Shadow.  Tell  the  story 
to  a  finish,"  said  Phil. 

"Well,  they  got  the  pork  and  beans " 

"Yes." 

"And  they  sat  down,  facing  each  other " 

"All  right — fire  away,"  said  Sam,  as  the  story- 
teller paused. 

"And  they  began  to  eat " 

"Glad  to  know  they  didn't  begin  to  weep,"  was 
Roger's  soft  comment. 

"And  they  ate  the  pork  and  beans  all  up,"  con- 
tinued Shadow,  soberly.  And  then  he  stopped 
short  and  looked  around  blankly. 

"Eh?" 

"Well,  I  never!" 

"Is  that  all  there  is  to  the  story?"  demanded 
Sam. 

"Certainly.     You  didn't  expect  they'd  buy  the 


1 8     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

beans  and  throw  them  away,  did  you?"  asked 
Shadow,  innocently. 

"Sold  that  time!"  cried  Dave,  good-naturedly. 
"Never  mind;  we'll  let  Shadow  pay  for  the  lunch 
we're  going  to  have.  Come  on." 

"Not  on  your  tintype,"  murmured  the  story- 
teller. "Not  unless  you  pass  around  the  hat  and 
make  me  treasurer." 

They  found  a  convenient  restaurant  and,  push- 
ing together  two  of  the  tables,  sat  down  in  a  merry 
group.  The  proprietor  knew  some  of  them,  and 
nodded  pleasantly  as  he  took  their  orders.  Soon 
they  were  eating  as  only  happy  and  healthy  school- 
boys can  eat. 

"My,  but  this  mince-pie  is  good!"  declared 
Roger.  "I  could  eat  about  a  yard  of  it!" 

"A  yard  of  pie  is  good,"  said  Dave,  with  a  smile. 

"Talking  about  a  yard  of  pie  puts  me  in  mind 
of  a  story,"  came  from  Shadow,  who  was  stowing 
away  the  last  of  a  hot  roast-beef  sandwich. 

"Hold  on,  we've  had  enough !"  cried  Sam. 

"If  you  pile  on  another  like  that  last  one,  we'll 
roll  you  out  in  the  snow,"  was  Phil's  comment. 

"This  is  a  real  story,  really  it  is,  and  it's  a  good 
one,  too." 

"Vintage  of  1864,  or  before  Columbus  landed?" 
inquired  Ben. 

"I've  never  told  this  before.  Some  Yale  stu- 
dents went  into  a  butcher  shop  and  one  of  'em, 


A  ROW  IN  A  RESTAURANT  19 

to  be  funny,  asked  the  butcher  if  he'd  sell  him  a 
yard  of  mutton.  'Certainly,'  says  the  butcher. 
'Fifty  cents  a  yard.'  'All  right,'  says  Mr.  Stu- 
dent. Til  take  two  yards.'  'A  dollar,  please,'  says 
the  butcher.  'Here  you  are,'  says  the  student,  and 
holds  up  the  money.  Then  the  butcher  takes  the 
bill,  puts  it  in  his  cash  drawer,  and  hands  out — 
six  sheep  feet." 

"Very  old  and  musty,"  was  Dave's  comment. 
"Washington  told  that  to  Caesar  when  the  two 
were  planning  to  throw  Socrates  into  Niagara." 
And  then  a  laugh  went  up  all  around. 

The  boys  were  just  finishing  their  lunch  when 
the  door  opened  and  a  stout  man  walked  in.  He 
was  covered  with  snow,  and  looked  anything  but 
happy. 

"Our  friend  of  the  smashed  eggs,"  whispered 
Sam  to  Dave.  "Wonder  if  he  has  cleaned  out 
his  valise  yet." 

The  man  sat  down  at  a  side  table  and  ordered 
several  things.  Then  he  happened  to  glance 
around,  noticed  the  students  for  the  first  time,  and 
scowled. 

"Humph!  what  you  fellows  doing  here?"  he 
growled. 

"Haven't  we  a  right  to  come  here?"  demanded 
Dave,  for  the  man  was  looking  straight  at  him. 

"Shouldn't  think  the  proprietor  would  want 
such  gay  larks  as  you  here." 


20    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"I  shouldn't  think  he'd  want  such  a  grunt  as 
you  here,"  retorted  Sam  Day. 

"Hi!  now,  don't  you  talk  to  me  that  way!" 
roared  the  stout  man.  "I  want  you  to  understand 
I  am  a  gentleman,  I  am." 

"See  here,  we  can't  have  any  quarreling  in  here," 
said  the  restaurant  proprietor,  coming  forward. 

"Some  of  them  fellows  knocked  me  down  on 
the  train  and  smashed  a  valise  full  of  eggs  on 
me,  Mr.  Denman." 

"We  did  nothing  of  the  sort,"  answered  Sam. 
"He  fell  on  the  icy  platform  of  the  car  and  right 
on  top  of  his  valise." 

"And  then  he  got  up  and  bumped  into  me," 
added  Dave.  "He  was  very  impolite,  to  say  the 
least." 

"Look  here!"  roared  the  stout  man,  "I  want 
you  to  understand " 

"Wait  a  minute,"  interrupted  Amos  Denman, 
the  restaurant  keeper.  "Isn't  your  name  Isaac 
Pludding?" 

"Yes." 

"Then  you  are  the  man  who  caused  the  trouble 
at  Mr.  Brown's  restaurant  last  week.  I  know  you. 
Some  time  ago  you  were  in  here,  and  nothing 
suited  you.  I  don't  want  to  serve  you,  and  you 
can  go  elsewhere  for  your  meal." 

"Don't  want  to  sell  me  anything?"  snarled 
Isaac  Pludding. 


A  ROW  IN  A  RESTAURANT  21 

"Not  a  mouthful.  And,  let  me  add,  I  consider 
these  young  men  gentlemen,  and  I  won't  have 
them  annoyed  while  they  are  in  my  place." 

"Oh,  all  right,  have  your  own  way,"  snarled  the 
stout  man.  "I'll  take  my  money  elsewhere,  I  will !" 
He  glared  at  the  students.  "But  I'll  get  square 
some  day  for  this — don't  forget  that!"  And 
shaking  his  head  very  savagely,  he  stormed  out 
of  the  restaurant,  banging  the  door  after  him. 


CHAPTER  III 

OFF   THE   TRACK 

"WELL,  if  he  isn't  the  worst  yet,"  was  the  com- 
ment of  the  senator's  son. 

"I  hope  he  isn't  waiting  for  that  train,"  said 
Shadow.  "I  don't  want  to  see  any  more  of  him." 

"Pooh  1  who's  afraid?"  asked  Phil.  "I  guess  we 
can  make  him  keep  his  distance." 

"I  thought  I  knew  him  when  he  came  in,  but 
I  wasn't  sure,"  said  the  restaurant  keeper.  "The 
man  who  runs  the  hotel,  Mr.  Brown,  had  a  lot 
of  trouble  with  him  because  he  wouldn't  pay  his 
bill — said  it  was  too  high.  Then  he  came  here 
once  and  said  the  meat  wasn't  fresh  and  the  bread 
was  stale  and  sour.  I  came  close  to  pitching  him 
out.  Don't  let  him  walk  over  you — if  he  does 
take  your  train." 

"No  danger,"  answered  Dave.  He  had  not 
yet  forgotten  the  rude  manner  in  which  Isaac 
Pludding  had  shoved  him. 

It  was  soon  time  for  the  Oakdale  train  to  arrive, 
and  the  students  walked  back  to  the  depot.  The 
snow  was  over  a  foot  deep  and  still  coming  down 

22 


OFF  THE  TRACK  23 

steadily.  The  depot  was  crowded  with  folks,  and 
among  them  they  discovered  Isaac  Pludding,  with 
his  valise  and  a  big  bundle  done  up  in  brown  paper. 

"He  certainly  must  be  waiting  for  the  train," 
said  Dave;  and  he  was  right.  When  the  cars 
came  to  a  stop  the  stout  man  was  the  first  person 
aboard.  The  students  entered  another  car  and 
secured  seats  in  a  bunch  as  before. 

"By  the  way,  where  is  Nat  Poole?"  asked 
Roger,  suddenly.  "I  didn't  see  him  get  off  the 
other  train." 

"He  got  off  and  walked  towards  the  hotel,"  an- 
swered Phil.  "I  suppose  he  feels  rather  lonesome." 

"That  can't  be  helped,"  said  Sam.  "He  makes 
himself  so  disagreeable  that  nobody  wants  him 
around." 

Just  as  the  train  was  about  to  start  a  boy  leaped 
on  the  platform  of  the  car  our  friends  occupied, 
opened  the  door,  and  came  in.  It  was  Nat  Poole, 
and  he  was  all  out  of  breath.  He  looked  for  a 
seat,  but  could  find  none. 

"They  ought  to  run  more  cars  on  this  train," 
he  muttered,  to  Roger.  "It's  a  beastly  shame  to 
make  a  fellow  stand  up." 

"Better  write  to  the  president  of  the  railroad 
company  about  it,  Nat,"  answered  the  senator's 
son,  dryly. 

"Maybe  there  is  a  seat  in  the  next  car,"  sug- 
gested Phil. 


24    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Nat  Poole  shuffled  off,  looking  anything  but 
pleased.  Hardly  had  he  gone  when  several  came 
in  from  the  car  ahead,  also  looking  for  seats. 
Among  them  was  Isaac  Pludding.  He  had  had 
a  seat  near  a  door,  but  had  given  it  up  to  look  for 
something  better,  and  now  he  had  nothing.  He 
glanced  bitterly  at  the  students  as  he  passed,  then 
came  back  and  leaned  heavily  against  the  seat 
Dave  and  Roger  were  occupying.  In  doing  this 
he  almost  knocked  Dave's  hat  from  his  head. 

"I'll  thank  you  to  be  a  little  more  careful,"  said 
Dave,  as  he  put  his  hat  into  place.  He  felt  cer- 
tain that  Isaac  Pludding  had  shoved  against  him 
on  purpose. 

"Talking  to  me?"  growled  the  stout  man. 

"I  am.    I  want  you  to  stop  shoving  me." 

"I've  got  to  stand  somewhere." 

"Well,  you  quit  shoving  me,  or  you'll  get  the 
worst  of  it,"  answered  Dave,  decidedly. 

At  that  moment  the  car  lurched  around  a  curve 
and  Isaac  Pludding  bumped  against  Dave  harder 
than  ever.  -Thoroughly  angry,  the  youth  arose 
and  faced  the  stout  man. 

"If  you  do  that  again,  I'll  have  you  put  off 
the  train,"  he  said. 

"That's  right,  Dave,  don't  let  him  walk  over 
you,"  added  Roger. 

"If  he  doesn't  know  his  place,  teach  it  to  him," 
was  Phil's  comment. 


OFF  THE  TRACK  25 

"Have  me  put  off  the  train?"  cried  Isaac  Plud- 
ding.  "I'd  like  to  see  you  do  itl  I  want  you  to 
know  I  am  a  stockholder  of  this  line." 

"Then  it's  a  shame  you  don't  provide  seats  for 
all  your  passengers." 

"That's  true,  too,"  remarked  a  gentleman  who 
was  standing  close  by. 

"I  don't  believe  he  owns  more  than  one  share 
of  stock,"  observed  Sam.  "And  that  he  most 
likely  inherited  from  his  great-granduncle." 

"I  own  five  shares!"  howled  Isaac  Pludding. 
"And  I  want  you  to  know " 

What  he  wanted  the  boys  to  know  they  never 
found  out,  for  at  that  moment  the  train  gave  an- 
other lurch.  It  came  so  suddenly  that  the  stout 
man  was  taken  completely  from  his  feet  and  sent 
sprawling  in  the  aisle  on  his  back.  A  valise  from 
a  rack  over  a  seat  came  tumbling  down,  and,  not 
to  get  it  on  his  head,  Roger  shoved  it  aside  and 
it  struck  Isaac  Pludding  full  on  the  stomach,  caus- 
ing him  to  gasp. 

The  boys  uttered  a  shout  of  laughter,  and  many 
other  passengers  joined  in.  The  floor  of  the  car 
was  wet  from  snow,  and  when  Isaac  Pludding 
scrambled  up  he  was  covered  with  dirt.  Dave 
caught  up  the  valise  and  turned  it  over  to  Sam, 
to  whom  it  belonged. 

"Who  threw  that  valise  on  me?"  demanded  the 
stout  man,  eyeing  the  boys  in  rage. 


26    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

To  this  there  was  no  answer. 

"I  guess  you  threw  it,"  went  on  Isaac  Pludding, 
and  caught  Dave  by  the  arm. 

"Let  go  of  me,"  said  Dave,  eyeing  the  man 
steadily.  "I  did  not  throw  it.  Let  go." 

Isaac  Pludding  wanted  to  argue  the  matter,  but 
there  was  something  in  Dave's  manner  that  he  did 
not  like.  He  dropped  his  hold  and  drew  back  a 
little. 

"Don't  you  dare  to  shove  me  again — not  once," 
continued  the  youth.  "If  you  do  you'll  regret  it. 
I  have  stood  all  from  you  that  I  am  going  to 
stand." 

"Oh,  you're  no  good,"  muttered  the  stout  man, 
lamely,  and  passed  on  to  the  end  of  the  car. 

The  train  was  coming  to  a  halt  at  a  place  called 
Raytown.  They  were  now  but  eight  miles  from 
Oakdale,  and  the  students  began  to  wonder  if 
anybody  would  be  at  that  station  to  meet  them. 

"If  Horsehair  comes  down  with  the  carryall, 
he'll  have  all  he  can  do  to  get  through  the  snow," 
said  Dave. 

"Perhaps  he'll  come  down  with  four  horses," 
suggested  Roger. 

"One  thing  is  certain,  Doctor  Clay  will  see  to 
it  that  we  get  to  Oak  Hall  somehow,"  said  Ben. 

"What  a  rickety  old  railroad  this  side  line  is!" 
declared  Phil,  as  the  car  gave  several  lurches. 
"It's  a  wonder  they  don't  fix  the  track." 


Roper  shoved  it  aside  and  it  struck  Isaac  PI  adding  full  on 
the  stomach.  —  Pnge  25. 


OFF  THE  TRACK  27 

"Not  enough  traffic  to  make  it  pay,  I  fancy," 
answered  Dave.  "They  carry  more  milk  and  cat- 
tle than  they  do  passengers." 

It  was  growing  dark  and  still  snowing  briskly. 
The  car  was  cold,  and  more  than  one  passenger 
had  to  stamp  his  feet  to  keep  them  warm.     On 
they  plunged,  through  the  snow,  until  of  a  sudden 
there  came  a  lurch  and  a  jerk  and  then  a  series 
of  bumps  that  caused  everybody  to  jump  up  in 
alarm.    Then  the  train  came  to  a  stop. 
"What's  the  matter  now?" 
"I  think  we  must  be  off  the  track." 
"It's  a  wonder  the  train  didn't  go  over." 
"It  couldn't  go  over,  for  we  are  down  in  a  cut." 
As  one  end  of  the  car  was  up  and  the  other 
down,  the  boys  knew  something  serious  was  the 
matter.     Taking  up  their  hand  baggage,  they  fol- 
lowed some  of  the  passengers  outside  and  jumped 
down  in  the  snow. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  learn  the  truth  of  the 
situation.  A  turnout  on  the  track  had  become 
clogged  with  ice,  and  the  locomotive  and  two  cars 
had  jumped  the  track  and  bumped  along  the  ties 
for  a  distance  of  two  hundred  feet.  Nobody  had 
been  hurt,  and  even  the  train  was  not  seriously  dam- 
aged, although  one  pair  of  car-trucks  would  have 
to  be  repaired. 

"I  don't  believe  they  can  get  the  cars  and  the 
locomotive  back  on  the  track  right  away,"  said 


28    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Dave.  "They'll  have  to  have  the  wrecking  train 
and  crew  down  here." 

When  appealed  to,  the  conductor  said  he  did 
not  know  how  soon  they  would  be  able  to  move 
again.  Probably  not  in  three  or  four  hours,  and 
maybe  not  until  the  next  morning. 

"I'll  have  to  walk  back  to  Raytown  and  tele- 
graph to  headquarters,"  he  explained. 

"We  are  in  a  pickle,  and  no  mistake,"  was 
Roger's  comment.  "I  must  say  I  don't  feel  like 
staying  on  the  train  all  night — it's  too  cold  and 
uncomfortable." 

In  the  group  of  passengers  was  Isaac  Pludding, 
storming  angrily  at  everything  and  everybody. 

"It's  an  outrage!"  he  declared,  to  a  bystander. 
"I  must  get  to  Oakdale  by  seven  o'clock.  I've 
got  a  business  deal  for  some  cattle  I  must  close. 
If  I  don't  get  there,  somebody  else  may  buy  the 
cattle." 

"I  hope  he  gets  left,"  said  Phil,  softly. 

"So  do  I,"  returned  Dave. 

"If  we  could  only  hire  a  big  sleigh  and  some 
horses,  we  might  drive  to  Oakdale,"  suggested 
Ben. 

"Hurrah,  that's  the  talk !"  cried  Dave.  "There 
must  be  some  farmhouse  near  here." 

"Say,  if  you  can  get  a  sleigh,  I'll  pay  my  share, 
if  you'll  take  me  along,"  put  in  Nat  Poole,  eagerly. 
He  hated  to  think  of  being  left  behind. 


OFF  THE  TRACK  29 

"All  right,  Nat,  I'm  willing,"  said  Dave,  gen- 
erously. 

"We've  got  to  find  the  sleigh  first,"  added  the 
senator's  son. 

"And  see  if  we  can  get  horses  enough  to  pull 
it,"  said  Ben.  "Some  farmers  won't  let  their 
horses  out  in  such  a  storm  as  this — and  you  can't 
blame  'em  much,  either." 

"If  we  can't  get  a  sleigh,  perhaps  we  can  stay 
at  some  farmhouse  all  night,"  suggested  Sam. 

All  of  the  party  climbed  through  the  snow  to 
the  top  of  the  railroad  cut  and  then  looked  around 
for  some  buildings. 

"I  see  a  light!"  cried  Phil,  and  pointed  it  out, 
between  some  bare  trees. 

"It's  a  house;  come  on,"  replied  Dave,  and  set 
off  without  delay,  the  others  following.  "Who 
knows  but  that  somebody  else  may  want  to  ride, 
and  if  so,  we  want  to  be  first  to  get  a  sleigh." 

It  was  rather  a  toilsome  journey  to  the  farm- 
house. Between  them  and  the  place  were  a  barn 
and  a  cowshed,  and  just  as  they  passed  the  former 
there  arose  a  fierce  barking,  and  three  big  black 
dogs  came  bounding  toward  the  students. 

"Look  out !  The  dogs  will  chew  us  up !"  yelled 
Nat  Poole,  in  terror,  and  started  to  retreat. 

"Down!"  called  out  Dave,  who  was  still  in 
advance.  "Down,  I  say!  Charge!"  But  instead 
of  obeying,  the  big  dogs  continued  to  approach 


30    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

until  they  were  within  a  dozen  feet  of  the  students. 
Then  they  lined  up,  growled  fiercely,  and  showed 
their  teeth. 

"Let  us  get  into  the  barn,"  suggested  Roger,  and 
flung  open  a  door  that  was  handy.  Into  the  build- 
ing they  went  pell-mell,  Dave  being  the  last  to 
enter.  One  dog  made  a  dart  at  the  youth's  leg,  but 
Dave  gave  him  a  kick  that  sent  him  back.  Then 
the  door  was  slammed  shut  and  latched,  and  the 
students  found  themselves  in  utter  darkness. 

"Wonder  if  they  can  get  in  any  other  way?" 
asked  Phil,  after  a  second  of  silence,  during  which 
they  heard  the  dogs  barking  outside. 

"I  doubt  if  any  of  the  doors  are  open  in  this 
storm,"  answered  Shadow. 

"Let  us  get  up  in — in  the  loft  1"  suggested  Nat 
Poole.  He  was  as  white  as  the  snow  outside  and 
his  teeth  were  chattering  from  something  else  be- 
sides the  cold. 

"That's  a  good  idea,"  said  Dave.  "But  we 
must  have  a  light  to  learn  where  the  loft  is.  Any- 
body got  a  match?" 

Nobody  had  such  an  article,  and  a  groan  went 
up.  Nat  Poole  was  appealed  to,  for  the  others 
knew  he  had  been  smoking  on  the  train. 

"My  matchbox  is  empty,"  said  he.  "I  am  going 
to  hunt  for  the  loft  ladder  in  the  dark." 

"Be  careful,  or  you  may  run  into  some  trouble- 
some horse,"  cautioned  Dave. 


OFF  THE  TRACK  31 

The  boys  moved  slowly  around  in  the  dark. 
They  could  hear  the  sounds  of  several  horses  feed- 
ing and  the  barking  of  the  dogs.  Then,  quite 
unexpectedly,  came  the  cracking  of  a  board,  a 
yell  of  alarm  from  Nat  Poole,  ?nd  a  loud  splash. 

"Help I     I  am  drowning!    Save  mel" 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  THE  BARN 

"NAT  has  fallen  into  the  water  1" 
"Where  is  he?    I  can't  see  a  thing." 
"He  must  have  gone  down  in  some  cistern." 
These  and  other  cries  rang  out,  and  all  of  the 
boys  of  Oak  Hall  were  filled  with  consternation. 
Dave  had  located  the  splash  fairly  well,  and  as 
quickly  as  he  could  he  felt  his  way  in  that  direction. 
"Nat,  where  are  you?"  he  called  out. 
"Here,  down  in  a  cistern !     Help  me  out,  or 
I'll  be  frozen  to  death." 

Dave  now  reached  the  edge  of  the  cistern.  Two 
of  the  boards  which  had  covered  it  had  broken, 
letting  Nat  down  quite  unexpectedly.  Fortunately 
there  was  only  three  feet  of  water  in  the  cistern, 
so  there  was  no  fear  of  drowning.  But  the  water 
was  icy  and  far  from  agreeable. 

As  Dave  leaned  down  to  give  Poole  his  hand, 
the  door  of  the  barn  was  flung  open  and  a  farmer 
strode  in,  a  lantern  in  one  hand  and  a  stout  stick 
in  the  other.  The  man  held  the  light  over  his 
head  and  looked  around  suspiciously. 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  THE  BARN       33 

"Wot  yeou  fellers  doin'  here?"  he  demanded. 

"Come  here  with  the  light — one  of  our  party 
has  fallen  into  the  cistern!"  cried  Dave. 

"Into  the  cistern,  eh?  Mebbe  it  serves  him 
right.  Ain't  got  no  business  in  my  barn,"  an- 
swered the  farmer,  as  he  came  closer. 

"We  ran  in  because  your  dogs  came  after  us," 
explained  Roger. 

"An*  where  did  yeou  come  from?  Ye  don't  be- 
long around  here,  I  know." 

"We  came  from  the  train — it's  off  the  track," 
said  Dave.  "But  help  us  get  this  boy  out  first 
and  then  we'll  explain." 

"Train  off  the  track?  Well,  I  snum!"  cried  the 
farmer.  Then  he  set  down  the  lantern  and  aided 
in  bringing  Nat  Poole  to  the  flooring  of  the  barn. 
"Putty  cold,  I'll  bet  a  quart  o'  shellbarks,"  he 
added,  grinning  at  the  lad's  wet  and  shivering 
figure. 

"Can't  we  get  him  into  the  house  by  the 
fire?"  asked  Ben.  "We'll  pay  you  for  your 
trouble." 

Now  if  there  was  one  thing  Shadrach  Mellick 
loved,  it  was  money,  and  at  the  mention  of  pay  he 
was  all  attention.  He  asked  a  few  questions,  and 
then  led  the  way  out  of  the  barn  and  towards  his 
house.  The  dogs  wanted  to  follow,  but  he  drove 
them  back. 

"Their  bark  is  worse  nor  their  bite,"  he  ex- 


34    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

plained.  "They  wouldn't  hurt  yeou  very  much.n 
Then  he  asked  about  the  train,  and  the  students 
gave  him  the  particulars  of  the  mishap.  In  the 
meantime  Mrs.  Mellick  bustled  around  and  got 
Nat  Poole  some  dry  clothing  and  allowed  him  to 
change  his  garments  in  a  side  room  that  chanced 
to  be  warm. 

The  boys  soon  learned  that  Shadrach  Mellick 
owned  a  sleigh  large  enough  to  accommodate  the 
entire  party,  and  also  four  good,  strong  horses. 
For  ten  dollars  he  agreed  to  take  them  to  Oak 
Hall,  stopping  at  Oakdale  on  the  way,  to  see  if 
the  school  sleigh  was  waiting  for  them. 

"The  sooner  we  start  the  better,"  said  Dave. 
And  then  he  added  in  a  whisper  to  Roger  and 
Phil:  "If  we  don't,  some  other  passengers  from 
the  train  may  come  up  here  and  offer  him  more 
money  for  his  turnout." 

"Let  us  pay  him  part  and  bind  the  bargain," 
suggested  the  senator's  son. 

"I'll  do  it,"  answered  Dave,  and  gave  Shad- 
rach Mellick  two  dollars. 

"Good  enough — thet  binds  the  bargain,"  said 
the  close-fisted  farmer. 

Nat  Poole  was  a  sight  to  behold  in  a  well-worn 
suit  several  sizes  too  big  for  him,  and  the  boys 
could  not  help  but  laugh  when  he  made  his  ap- 
pearance. 

"That's  a  real  swagger  suit,  Nat!"  cried  Sam 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  THE  BARN       35 

Day.  "Won't  you  give  me  the  address  of  your 
tailor?" 

"Nat  can't  do  that,"  added  Ben.  "He  wants 
the  artist  all  to  himself." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  broke  in 
Shadow  Hamilton.  "A  countryman  went  into 
a  clothing  store  to  buy  a  suit  and " 

"Wow!"  came  from  several  of  the  students  in 
a  chorus. 

"That  story  is  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  old." 

"It's  full  of  moth-holes,  Shadow." 

"It  isn't — I've  only  told  it  about " 

"Two  hundred  and  eleven  times,"  finished  Dave. 
"Shadow,  you  really  must  get  a  new  joke-book 
to  read." 

"Never  mind  my  clothing,"  grumbled  Nat 
Poole.  "I  couldn't  help  it  that  I  fell  in  the  cis- 
tern. The  farmer  had  no  right  to  cover  it  with 
rotten  boards." 

"Yeou  had  no  right  to  be  in  the  barn,"  an- 
swered Shadrach  Mellick,  with  a  grin.  "How- 
somever,  we'll  let  it  pass.  I'm  satisfied  ef  yeou 
air." 

The  sleigh  was  soon  ready,  and  the  students 
bundled  in,  making  themselves  as  comfortable  as 
possible.  Nat  Poole's  wet  clothing  was  placed 
in  a  sack  and  tied  on  behind.  Then  the  farmer 
mounted  to  the  front  seat. 

"All  ready?"  he  queried. 


36    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"All  ready — let  her  go !"  sang  out  several  of  the 
lads. 

At  that  moment  the  dogs  began  to  set  up  another 
bark,  and  then  came  a  call  from  the  darkness. 

"Hi,  there,  wait  a  minute !" 

"Who  is  that?"  questioned  Dave.  "Hullo,  if 
it  isn't  the  stout  man  I" 

It  was  Isaac  Pludding,  true  enough.  He  had 
been  walking  rapidly  and  was  nearly  out  of  wind. 

"Whe — where  are  you  going?"  he  panted,  to 
the  farmer. 

"Coin*  to  take  these  chaps  to  Oakdale." 

"That  is  where  I  want  to  go."  Isaac  Pludding 
glared  at  the  students.  "I  don't  like  to  ride  with 
those  boys,  but  I  suppose  I  can  stand  it.  Got  room 
for  another  passenger?  I  suppose  they  told  you 
how  the  train  broke  down." 

"They  did,"  answered  Shadrach  Mellick. 
"Reckon  I  can  carry  one  more,"  he  added.  "But 
yeou'll  have  to  pay  me.  These  boys  are  paying  me 
ten  dollars  for  the  trip." 

"How  much  do  you  want?"  demanded  Isaac 
Pludding. 

"About  a  dollar,  I  guess." 

"It's  enough,  but  I'll  go  you,"  answered  the 
stout  man,  and  prepared  to  climb  into  the  big 
sleigh. 

As  soon  as  Isaac  Pludding  appeared,  Dave  held 
a  whispered  conversation  with  Roger  and  some 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  THE  BARN       37 

of  the  others.  Now  he  turned  to  Shadrach  Mel- 
lick. 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Mellick,  but  we  don't  propose 
to  take  another  passenger,"  he  said,  decidedly. 
"At  least,  not  this  man." 

"No?" 

"No,  sir.  We  hired  this  sleigh  for  ourselves 
alone." 

"And  paid  part  of  the  money  to  bind  the  bar- 
gain," added  Phil. 

"Whatl  do  you  mean  to  say  I  can't  ride  if  I 
want  to?"  cried  the  stout  man,  as  unreasonable 
as  he  had  been  on  the  train. 

"You  can't  ride  with  us,"  said  Roger. 

"What  do  you  say?"  asked  Isaac  Pludding  of 
the  farmer. 

Shadrach  Mellick  scratched  his  head. 

"A  bargain  is  a  bargain,  Mr.  Mellick,"  said 
Dave,  hastily.  "We  hired  this  sleigh,  and  that  is 
all  there  is  to  it." 

"That  is  true,  but— er " 

"Wouldn't  you  rather  earn  ten  dollars  than  one 
or  two?"  asked  Ben.  "If  that  man  is  to  ride  we 
won't." 

"So  say  we  all  of  us !"  came  from  a  number  of 
the  others. 

"Then  I  can't  take  yeou,"  said  the  farmer 
to  Isaac  Pludding.  "These  young  fellers  come 
fust." 


38     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"It's  an  outrage !"  cried  the  stout  man.  "I'll — 
I'll  have  the  law  on  you  for  it." 

"Guess  yeou  air  a  fool,"  muttered  Shadrach 
Mellick,  in  disgust.  "Git  alang  there,  ye  lazy 
critters!"  And  with  a  crack  of  his  whip  he  sent 
the  double  team  on  their  way,  leaving  Isaac  Plud- 
ding  standing  by  the  gateway,  shaking  his  fist  at 
the  vanishing  students. 

"He  is  mad  now,  if  he  never  was  before,"  ob- 
served Phil. 

"I  wonder  if  we'll  see  any  more  of  him,"  said 
Ben. 

"I  don't  want  to  see  him  again,"  answered 
Dave. 

The  wagon-road  to  Oakdale  did  not  run  near 
the  railroad,  so  they  saw  nothing  of  the  train 
passengers  as  they  moved  along.  Luckily  the 
snowstorm  was  letting  up,  so  the  ride  was  not  as 
disagreeable  as  they  had  anticipated.  In  spite  of 
the  delay  the  boys  were  in  excellent  spirits,  the 
single  exception  being  Nat  Poole,  who  sat  huddled 
in  a  seat  corner,  saying  nothing.  The  boys  sang 
songs,  told  funny  stories,  and  "cut  up"  generally, 
and  thus,  almost  before  they  knew  it,  they  drew  up 
alongside  of  the  railroad  station  at  Oakdale. 

There  was  no  turnout  there  to  meet  them,  and 
from  the  station  master  they  learned  that  Jackson 
Lamond,  the  Hall  driver,  had  been  down  with  the 
carryall,  but  had  gone  back  when  he  had  learned 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  THE  BARN       39 

that  the  train  had  broken  down  and  would  not  ar- 
rive until  morning. 

"Well,  it  doesn't  matter,"  said  Dave.  "We've 
hired  our  driver  to  take  us  to  the  Hall,  anyway." 

"All  hands  off  for  a  hot  soda!"  cried  Phil,  as 
they  rounded  the  drug-store  corner,  and  the  sleigh 
was  stopped  and  they  rushed  in  to  get  the  refresh- 
ment. They  treated  Shadrach  Mellick  to  two 
glasses,  which  put  the  old  fanner  in  fairly  good 
humor. 

"I  don't  blame  ye  for  not  wanting  thet  man," 
said  he,  after  he  had  heard  their  story  about 
Isaac  Pludding.  "Guess  he's  about  as  mean  as 
they  make  'em." 

"He  said  he  had  some  cattle  deal  on  in  Oak- 
dale,"  said  Dave.  "Perhaps  you  know  something 
about  that?" 

"Oh,  mebbe  I  do.  There's  a  city  consarn  buy- 
ing cattle  up  here,  now — started  last  fall.  They're 
tryin'  to  do  old  Joe  Parker  out  o'  his  bus'ness. 
Mcbbe  this  fat  feller  is  the  city  company's  agent. 
If  he  is,  old  Joe  Parker  won't  want  him  up  here." 

"Where  does  Joe  Parker  live?"  asked  Dave, 
with  interest. 

"We'll  pass  his  house  in  a  minit.  There  it  is — 
over  yonder,  by  the  wilier  trees." 

"Let  me  off  a  minute  at  that  place,"  went  on 
Dave. 

"That's  the  talk !"  cried  Roger,  catching  Dave's 


40    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

idea.  "We'll  put  a  spoke  in  Pludding's  wheel — 
if  he  is  the  rival  cattle  dealer." 

Arriving  at  the  Parker  cottage,  Dave  and  Roger 
leaped  down  in  the  snow  and  knocked  on  the  door. 
A  heavy-set  and  rather  pleasant-looking  man  an- 
swered their  summons. 

"Is  this  Mr.  Joseph  Parker?"  asked  Dave. 

"That's  my  handle,  lad.  What  can  I  do  for 
you?  Will  you  come  in?" 

"No,  Mr.  Parker — I  haven't  time.  I  wanted 
to  ask  you,  do  you  know  a  Mr.  Isaac  Pludding?" 

At  this  question  the  brow  of  Joe  Parker  dark- 
ened. 

"I  certainly  do." 

"He  is  working  for  some  opposition  in  the  cat- 
tle line,  isn't  he?" 

"Yes,  and  trying  his  best  to  do  me  out  of  my 
little  income,"  was  the  grumbled-out  answer. 

"Well,  I  thought  I  might  do  you  a  favor,"  went 
on  Dave,  and  then  told  of  his  meeting  with  the 
cattle  agent,  and  of  how  Pludding  was  trying  to 
reach  Oakdale  without  delay. 

"Is  that  possible!"  cried  Joseph  Parker.  "If 
it  is,  I'll  have  to  get  a  hustle  on  me,  I'm  thinking. 
I  told  Farrington  I'd  let  him  know  about  those 
cattle  to-day  or  to-morrow.  I'll  go  right  over  and 
close  the  deal  now — before  Pludding  gets  here. 
It's  Farrington's  cattle  he  is  after.  I  am  very 
much  obliged  to  you." 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  THE  BARN       41 

"You  are  welcome,"  said  Dave. 

"I  only  hope  you  get  the  better  of  the  fat  man," 
added  the  senator's  son;  and  then  he  and  Dave 
went  back  to  the  sleigh,  and  the  journey  to  Oak 
Hall  was  resumed. 


CHAPTER  V 

BACK  TO  OAK  HALL 

As  my  old  readers  know,  Oak  Hall  was  an  up- 
to-date  structure  built  of  brick  and  stone.  Its  shape 
was  that  of  a  broad  cross,  with  its  front  facing  the 
south.  On  that  side,  and  to  the  east  and  west, 
were  the  classrooms,  while  the  dining-hall  and 
kitchen  and  laundry  were  on  the  north.  Around 
the  school  was  a  broad  campus,  running  down  to 
the  Leming  River  in  the  rear.  Great  clumps  of 
oaks  were  scattered  around,  giving  to  the  institu- 
tion its  name. 

"Hurrah!  I  see  the  school!"  cried  Sam  Day, 
who  sat  in  front  with  the  sleigh  driver. 

"So  do  I !"  cried  Roger. 

"Boys,  let's  give  them  a  song  when  we  drive  up  1" 
suggested  Dave.  "It  will  prove  that  we  are  not 
quite  frozen  to  death." 

"Right  you  are,"  responded  Shadow  Hamilton. 
"Now  then,  all  together !"  And  he  started  up  the 
school  song,  sung  to  the  tune  of  "Auld  Lang 
Syne": 


BACK  TO  OAK  HALL  43 

"Oak  Hall  we  never  shall  forget, 

No  matter  where  we  roam, 
It  is  the  very  best  of  schools, 

To  us  it's  just  like  home. 
Then  give  three  cheers,  and  let  them  ring 

Throughout  this  world  so  wide, 
To  let  the  people  know  that  we 

Elect  to  here  abide!" 

This  was  sung  with  great  gusto  and  immediately 
following  came  the  well-known  Hall  rally : 

"Baseball! 
Football! 
Oak  Hall! 
Has  the  call ! 
Biff!  Boom!  Bang!  Whoop!" 

"That's  the  way  to  do  it!"  sang  out  Dave,  and 
then,  as  the  sleigh  drew  up  to  the  front  door  of 
the  academy,  he  started  some  doggerel  also  sung  to 
the  tune  of  "Auld  Lang  Syne"  and  just  then  be- 
coming popular: 

"We're  here  because  we're  here  because 

We're  here  because  we're  here! 
We're  here  because  we're  here  because 

We're  here  because  we're  here! 
We're  here  because  we're  here  because 

We're  here  because  we're  here! 
We're  here  because  we're  here  because — 

We're  nowhere  else  just  nowt" 


44    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

The  boys  sang  as  loudly  as  they  could,  and  kept 
it  up  until  the  front  door  of  the  Hall  opened  and 
Job  Haskers  appeared,  attired  in  a  dressing-gown 
and  wearing  slippers. 

"Here!  here!  stop  that  racket  1"  cried  the 
teacher  who  could  never  see  any  fun  in  any- 
thing. "Do  you  want  to  awaken  the  entire 
Hall?" 

"Oh,  no,  Mr.  Haskers;  we  only  thought  we'd 
let  you  know  that  we  had  arrived,"  answered  Dave, 
sweetly. 

"Well,  there's  no  need  to  act  like  a  lot  of  hood- 
lums," growled  Job  Haskers.  "I  thought  you 
were  all  storm-bound  at  Raytown,"  he  went  on. 
"Lamond  brought  in  word  that  the  train  had 
broken  down." 

"It  did  break  down,  but  we  hired  this  sleigh  to 
bring  us  over,"  answered  Roger.  "We  said  the 
man  could  put  up  here  over-night  and  go  back  in 
the  morning." 

"Ahem !  I  don't  know  about  that.  We  are  not 
in  the  habit "  began  the  teacher,  when  some- 
body caught  him  by  the  arm  and  came  to  the 
front.  It  was  Doctor  Clay,  also  in  a  dressing- 
gown,  and  smiling  broadly. 

"How  do  you  do,  boys?"  he  said,  cheerily. 
"Glad  to  see  you !  So  you  thought  you  couldn't 
stay  away,  even  if  the  train  did  break  down?  I 
rather  suspected  some  of  you  would  try  to  get  a 


BACK  TO  OAK  HALL  45 

sleigh  over.  Come  right  in.  You  must  be  rather 
cold — or  did  the  singing  keep  you  warm?" 

"How  do  you  do,  Doctor  Clay?"  was  the  an- 
swering cry,  and  all  of  the  boys  bounced  out  of 
the  turnout,  ran  up  the  steps,  and  shook  hands. 
Job  Haskers  was  "left  in  the  cold,"  so  to  speak, 
and  stood  in  the  background  in  disgust.  He 
thought  it  was  "bad  discipline"  to  treat  the  schol- 
ars too  good-naturedly.  "Hold  them  down  with 
a  rod  of  iron,"  was  his  motto,  and  the  boys  knew  it 
only  too  well. 

Matters  were  speedily  explained  to  the  master 
of  the  school,  and  he  directed  Job  Haskers  to  call 
Lamond  and  have  the  horses  and  the  sleigh  taken 
care  of,  and  then  told  Shadrach  Mellick  to  come 
in  and  he  would  be  given  a  room  for  the  night  and 
his  breakfast  in  the  morning.  The  farmer  was 
paid  off  and  was  well  pleased  over  the  treatment 
received. 

"You  appear  to  be  the  only  one  who  has  suf- 
fered," said  Doctor  Clay  to  Nat  Poole.  "But  a 
good  night's  sleep  will  probably  fix  you  up,  and 
the  housekeeper  can  look  after  your  clothing." 

"I  have  plenty  of  other  clothing  in  my  trunk," 
answered  Poole,  and  then  went  off  to  the  dormi- 
tory he  occupied  with  Gus  Plum  and  a  number  of 
others. 

Dave  and  his  chums  occupied  Dormitories  Nos. 
ii  and  12,  and  there  they  found  several  of  the 


46    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

other  students  awaiting  them,  including  Luke  Wat- 
son, who  was  noted  as  a  singer  and  banjo-player, 
Bertram  Vane,  always  called  "Polly,"  because  his 
manner  was  so  girlish,  and  little  Chip  Macklin, 
who  had  been  the  school  sneak  but  who  had  now 
turned  over  a  new  leaf. 

"It  does  my  heart  good  to  set  eyes  on  you  fel- 
lows again!"  cried  Luke  Watson.  "If  it  wasn't 
so  late  I'd  get  out  my  banjo  and  sing  a  song  in 
your  honor." 

"Yes,  and  have  old  Haskers  up  here,  giving  us 
extra  work  for  to-morrow,"  answered  Ben.  "No, 
thank  you,  Luke,  not  so  early  in  the  season,  please." 

"Delighted  to  see  you  all,"  lisped  Polly  Vane. 
"I  trust  you  all  had  a  real  nice  time." 

"I  certainly  did,"  answered  Dave.  "How 
about  you,  Polly?  Did  they  invite  you  to  any 
molasses-pulls  or  pink  teas?" 

"Oh,  I  had  a  glorious  time,  Dave.  My  two 
cousins  visited  us — splendid  girls — and  they  had 
some  other  girls  come  in,  and  we " 

"All  played  blindman's-buff  and  hunt-the-slip- 
per," finished  Sam.  "Wasn't  that  too  delicious  for 
anything!"  and  he  said  this  in  such  a  feminine 
tone  that  everybody  but  Polly  laughed.  The 
girlish  student  looked  a  bit  doubtful,  but  was  not 
offended. 

The  cold  ride  had  made  the  boys  sleepy,  and 
all  were  glad  to  undress  and  go  to  bed.  Dave  was 


BACK  TO  OAK  HALL  47 

tired  out,  having  put  in  an  extra-long  day,  and 
the  moment  his  head  touched  the  pillow  he 
sailed  off  into  the  land  of  dreams  and  did  not 
awaken  until  the  morning  bell  was  clanging  in  his 
ears. 

The  storm  had  passed  away,  and  outside  it  was 
as  clear  as  crystal.  The  sun  shone  brightly,  and 
this  helped  to  put  all  the  boys  in  good  humor,  for 
a  gray  day  at  Oak  Hall  was  not  to  their  liking. 
All  were  soon  dressed,  and  Dave,  Roger,  and  Phil 
started  to  go  below  together. 

In  the  upper  corridor  they  came  face  to  face 
with  Gus  Plum,  the  former  bully.  Plum  looked 
rather  pale  and  thin  and  his  eyes  were  somewhat 
sunken.  That  the  exposure  of  his  wrongdoings 
had  caused  him  much  worry  there  could  be  no 
doubt. 

"How  do  you  do,  Gus?"  said  Dave  kindly,  and 
stepping  closer  he  shook  a  hand  that  was  almost 
as  cold  as  ice.  Phil  and  Roger  merely  nodded. 

"Oh,  I'm  pretty  well,"  answered  Gus  Plum. 
"How  are  you  ?" 

"First-rate — that  is,  I  would  be  if  I  could  only 
get  some  word  from  my  father  and  sister." 

"It's  too  bad  that  you  don't  get  some  kind  of 
message."  Plum  lowered  his  voice.  "I'd  like  to 
see  you  alone  this  noon  or  to-night.  I — er — want 
to  talk  something  over  with  you,"  he  whispered. 

"All  right,  Gus — I'll  try  to  see  you  this  noon," 


48     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

replied  Dave,  in  a  low  tone;  and  then  all  the 
students  passed  down  to  the  dining-hall. 

"Plum  has  certainly  got  something  on  his  mind," 
was  Roger's  comment. 

"Well,  that  exposure  was  a  terrible  thing  for 
him,"  returned  Phil.  "Of  course  what  he  did 
wasn't  as  bad  as  what  was  done  by  Nick  Jasniff 
and  those  two  robbers,  but  it  was  bad  enough.  I'd 
hate  to  have  such  a  black  mark  against  my  name." 

The  Thanksgiving  holidays  had  been  rather 
short,  and  those  pupils  who  lived  a  long  distance 
from  Oak  Hall  had  remained  at  that  institution; 
consequently  the  routine  of  studies  was  taken  up 
that  day  without  much  trouble.  Fortunately  Dave 
was  now  placed  under  Andrew  Dale,  the  first  as- 
sistant, a  teacher  loved  by  all  the  scholars. 

"I  know  I  shall  learn  faster  than  ever,"  said 
Dave  to  Roger.  "Mr.  Dale  knows  just  how  to 
bring  out  all  there  is  in  a  fellow." 

"I  wish  the  doctor  would  get  rid  of  old  Has- 
kers,"  returned  the  senator's  son.  "I  simply  can't 
bear  him." 

"Haskers  is  under  contract,  so  I've  been  told, 
Roger.  Maybe  he'll  be  dropped  when  the  contract 
runs  out." 

Just  before  the  bell  rang  for  the  morning  ses- 
sion Shadrach  Mellick  drove  off  in  his  big  sleigh. 
The  schoolboys  gave  him  a  parting  salute  of  snow- 
balls which  the  farmer  tried  in  vain  to  duck. 


BACK  TO  OAK  HALL  49 

"Hi,  yeou!"  he  roared.  "Want  to  knock  the 
top  of  my  head  off?  Stop  it!"  And  then,  to 
escape  his  tormentors,  he  whipped  up  his  horses 
and  dashed  out  of  the  Hall  grounds  at  top  speed. 
It  was  the  last  the  boys  saw  of  him  for  a  long 
time. 

It  was  not  until  after  the  day's  sessions  were  over 
that  Dave  got  a  chance  to  see  Gus  Plum  alone. 
The  two  met  in  the  upper  hallway  and  walked  to 
the  dormitory  the  former  bully  occupied,  and 
Plum  locked  the  door. 

"Sit  down,  Dave,  I  want  to  talk  to  you,"  said 
Plum,  and  motioned  Dave  to  the  easiest  chair  the 
dormitory  contained.  Then  he  sank  on  the  edge 
of  a  bed  close  by. 

"All  right,  Gus,  fire  away,"  answered  Dave, 
and  he  wondered  what  was  coming  next. 

"I — er — I  don't  know  how  to  say  it — how  to 
begin,"  stammered  the  former  bully,  and  his  face 
showed  a  trace  of  red  in  it.  "But  I've  made  up 
my  mind  to  speak  to  you,  and  ask  your  advice. 
You  saved  me  from  a  terrible  disgrace,  Dave,  and 
I  know  you'll  tell  me  the  best  thing  to  do." 

"What  about?" 

"Well — about  everything.  First  of  all,  about 
staying  here.  At  first  I  thought  I  could  do  it — 
that  I  could  face  the  crowd  and  live  it  down. 
But  now — the  way  some  of  the  boys  treat  me — 
and  look  at  me — and  the  remarks  made  behind 


50    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

my  back!  Oh,  Dave,  it's  terrible, — you  can't 
imagine  how  hard  it  is!"  And  there  was  a  quiver 
in  Gus  Plum's  voice  that  meant  a  great  deal. 

"I  am  sorry  to  hear  of  this,  Gus.  But  you  must 
live  it  down,  thqre  is  nothing  else  to  do." 

"I  can  go  away — my  folks  are  ready  to  send  me 
to  another  school." 

"Don't  do  it — stay  here  and  fight  it  out.  I  know 
how  you  feel — I  felt  that  way  when  they  called 
me  'a  poorhouse  nobody.'  ' 

"Oh,  Dave,  I  did  that !    I  am  so  sorry  now !" 

"You  are  bound  to  win  in  the  end — if  you  do 
what  is  fair  and  honest.  So  long  as  Doctor  Clay  is 
willing  to  keep  you,  you'd  better  stay  by  all  means." 

"Yes,  yes,  I  know,  but — but — there  is  some- 
thing else."  Plum  dropped  his  hands  in  his  face. 
"I  don't  know  how  I  am  going  to  tell  you,  but 
I  want  to  tell  somebody.  It's  been  on  my  mind 
ever  since  it  happened."  And  then,  to  Dave's 
amazement,  Gus  Plum  threw  himself  across  the 
bed  and  began  to  sob  violently. 


CHAPTER  VI 

GUS  PLUM'S  CONFESSION 

THAT  the  former  bully  of  Oak  Hall  was 
thoroughly  broken-down  there  could  be  no  doubt, 
and  Dave  pitied  him  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart. 
He  wondered  what  Gus  Plum  would  have  to  say 
next,  and  resolved  to  aid  the  lad  as  much  as  lay 
in  his  power. 

"Come,  Gus,  you  had  better  tell  me  your  whole 
story,"  he  said,  kindly,  and  sitting  on  the  bed  he 
took  one  of  the  lad's  hands  in  his  own. 

"Well,  you  know  how  I  promised  Doctor  Clay 
I'd  turn  over  a  new  leaf,  and  all  that,"  began 
Plum.  "I  haven't  done  it." 

"Oh,  Gus!" 

"I  wanted  to — but  the  force  of  circumstances, 
and  my  own  weakness,  wouldn't  let  me.  Do  you 
remember  how  I  told  you  about  my  financial  af- 
fairs— losing  money  on  that  football  game  and 
all  that?  Well,  I  learned  that  I  was  deeper  in 
debt  than  I  thought  I  was.  I  paid  what  debts  I 
could  and  then  found  out  that  I  still  owed  two  men 
in  Oakdale  forty  dollars.  I  didn't  dare  to  write 

51 


52    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

home  for  money,  for  after  that  exposure  my  father 
said  he  would  only  allow  me  five  dollars  a  month 
spending  money  and  not  a  cent  more,  for  the  next 
year.  I  met  one  of  the  men  in  Oakdale  the  day  be- 
fore Thanksgiving — after  you  were  away — and 
he — oh,  how  can  I  tell  it ! — he  got  me  to  go  to 
that  tavern  with  him  and  gamble  again,  in  the 
hope  of  winning  the  money  I  needed." 

"And  you  gambled,  Gus?     That  was  too  bad." 

"At  first  I  played  cards  for  small  amounts,  but 
then  the  men  treated — they  insisted  upon  my 
drinking — and  then  we  made  the  stakes  larger,  and 
when  I  came  away,  instead  of  winning  back  the 
forty  dollars,  I  found  myself  owing  them  eighty- 
five  dollars.  And  now  they  say  if  I  do  not  pay  up 
at  once  they'll  expose  me  to  the  doctor  and  my 
folks."  Gus  Plum  heaved  a  deep  sigh.  "Oh,  I 
wish  I  was  dead!"  he  sobbed. 

"Gus,  I  thought  you  were  going  to  give  up 
gambling  and  drinking?" 

"I  was,  but  those  men  persuaded  me  before  I 
was  aware.  If  I  ever  get  out  of  this  you'll  never 
catch  me  doing  it  again — never,  as  long  as  I  live  1" 

"You  say  you  owe  them  eighty-five  dollars?" 

"Yes." 

"Do  you  owe  any  more  than  that?" 

"They  say  I  owe  the  tavern  keeper  two  dollars. 
But  I  don't  think  so.  I  didn't  order  anything." 

"Have  you  any  money  at  all?" 


GUS  PLUM'S  CONFESSION  53 

"Three  dollars  and  a  half." 

"Come  to  my  room." 

"What  for?" 

"Never  mind,  come  along — before  any  of  the 
others  come  up." 

Wondering  what  Dave  had  in  mind  to  do,  the 
former  bully  of  Oak  Hall  followed  Dave  to  Dor- 
mitory No.  12.  Here  Dave  went  straight  to  his 
trunk,  brought  out  a  long  flat  pocketbook,  and 
began  to  open  it. 

"Why,  Dave,  you  don't  mean  to "  began 

Gus  Plum,  his  eyes  opening  widely. 

"Gus,  I  am  going  to  lend  you  the  money,  but 
only  under  one  condition,"  said  Dave. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  you  have  that  much  on 
hand?"  demanded  Plum. 

"Yes,  I  have  exactly  a  hundred  dollars  in  this 
pocketbook.  It  is  a  special  sum  that  my  uncle 
advised  me  to  keep  for  emergencies.  He  says  he 
may  go  away  some  time  and  I  may  need  money 
before  he  can  send  it  to  me.  It  has  nothing  to 
do  with  my  regular  allowance.  I  will  loan  you  the 
eighty-five  dollars  on  one  condition — no,  on  two 
conditions." 

"What  are  they?" 

"The  first  is,  that  you  give  me  your  word  to 
cut  out  all  drinking  and  all  gambling  from 
now  on." 

"I'll  do  that  readily,  Dave." 


54    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"And  the  second  is,  that  you  remain  at  Oak 
Hall  and  fight  your  way  through  in  spite  of  what 
some  of  the  fellows  say.  Show  one  and  all  that 
you  want  to  make  a  man  of  yourself,  and  sooner 
or  later  they  will  respect  you." 

"It  will  be  a  terribly  hard  thing  to  do." 

"Never  mind,  Gus,  I  will  help  you  all  I  can,  and 
I  am  sure  some  of  the  others  will  help  you,  too." 

For  a  full  minute  Gus  Plum  was  silent,  looking 
out  of  the  long  window  at  the  gathering  darkness 
of  the  short  winter  day.  Then  he  turned  again 
to  Dave. 

"All  right,  I'll  take  you  up  and  stay,  and  I'll 
do  my  level  best  to  deserve  your  kindness,  Dave," 
he  said,  in  a  husky  voice. 

"Good!  Now  here  is  the  money,  in  five-dollar 
bills.  If  you  don't  mind,  I'll  go  along  when  you 
pay  those  fellows.  I  want  to  see  that  you  get  a 
receipt  in  full  from  them.  As  you  say  you  owe 
them  the  money,  we'll  let  it  go  at  that,  although 
it's  more  than  likely  they  cheated  you." 

"Maybe  they  did,  but  I  can't  prove  it." 

With  added  thanks,  Gus  Plum  took  the  eighty- 
five  dollars  and  placed  it  carefully  away  in  an 
inner  pocket. 

"I'll  write  the  men  a  note  to  meet  me  Saturday 
afternoon,"  said  he.  "Will  that  suit  you?" 

"Yes,  but  don't  meet  them  at  the  tavern.  The 
depot  will  be  better." 


GUS  PLUM'S  CONFESSION  55 

"Very  well,  I'll  make  it  the  depot,"  answered 
the  former  bully.  He  was  very  humble,  and  once 
more  Dave  had  great  hopes  of  his  keeping  his 
promises. 

Some  of  the  other  students  were  now  coming 
up,  and  Dave  brought  out  some  books  he  had 
brought  along  from  home,  including  a  fine  illus- 
trated work  on  polar  exploration  which  Jessie 
Wadsworth  had  presented  to  him.  She  had  writ- 
ten his  name  and  her  own  on  the  flyleaf,  and  of 
this  inscription  Dave  thought  a  great  deal. 

"I've  read  a  part  of  it  already,"  he  said  to  Gus 
Plum.  "It's  very  interesting.  Some  day  I'll  let 
you  read  it,  if  you  wish." 

"Thanks,  perhaps  I  will,  Dave,"  said  the  for- 
mer bully,  and  then  with  a  meaning  look  at  Dave 
he  retired.  He  knew  Dave  had  brought  out  the 
book  merely  in  order  that  the  other  lads  would  not 
ask  embarrassing  questions. 

"That  is  a  great  book,"  said  Roger,  looking  it 
over.  "Say,  it  must  be  fine  to  travel  in  the  land 
of  perpetual  snow." 

"Providing  you  can  keep  warm,"  added  Phil. 

"Talking  about  keeping  warm,  puts  me  in  mind 
of  a  story,"  began  Shadow  Hamilton.  "Now,  if 
you'll  listen  I'll  tell  it,  otherwise  I  won't." 

"How  much  to  listen?"  asked  Luke  Watson, 
meekly. 

"Nothing — this  is  free,  gratis,  for  nothing." 


56    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"I  mean,  what  are  you  going  to  pay  us  for  listen- 
ing, Shadow?" 

"Oh,  you  go  to  Jericho!"  growled  the  story- 
teller of  the  school.  "Well,  this  is  about  two  men 
who  hired  a  room  in  a  hotel.  It  was  in  the  summer- 
time and  the  room  was  very  hot.  They  opened  the 
window  on  the  court,  but  it  didn't  let  in  enough 
air.  In  the  middle  of  the  night  one  of  the  men 
got  up  in  the  dark.  'What  you  doing?'  asked  the 
other  man.  'Looking  for  another  window  to  open,' 
says  the  man  who  was  up.  Pretty  soon  he  touched 
a  glass  and  found  what  he  thought  was  a  window 
opening  sideways.  'There,  that's  fine!'  he  said. 
'It's  pretty  breezy — guess  I'll  pull  up  the  cover  a 
little,'  said  the  other  man,  and  then  both  slept  well 
until  morning.  When  they  got  up  they  found  that 
the  one  fellow  had  opened  the  door  to  an  old  book- 
case in  a  corner." 

"Very  breezy  story,"  was  Roger's  comment. 

"Quite  a  refined  air  about  it,"  remarked  Ben. 

"How  did  opening  the  bookcase  make  the  room 
cooler?"  demanded  Dave,  innocently. 

"Why,  it  didn't.    The  man  thought- 

"But  you  said  he  was  cooler.  He  even  pulled 
up  the  cover  on  the  bed !" 

"Certainly.    He  got  the  impression " 

"Who?" 

"The  man.    He  thought " 

"How  could  he  think  if  he  was  asleep,  Shadow  ?" 


GUS  PLUM'S  CONFESSION  57 

"I  didn't  say  he  thought  in  his  sleep.  I 
said " 

"Well,  he  went  to  bed  anyhow,  didn't  he?" 

"Of  course.  But  when  he  opened  the  bookcase 
door " 

"Oh,  I  see,  it  was  a  refrigerator  in  disguise. 
Why  didn't  you  tell  us  that  before, — how  the 
block  of  ice  fell  out  on  the  man's  left  front  toe 
and  injured  his  spine  so  he  couldn't  sing  any 
more?"  finished  Dave,  and  then  a  laugh  arose,  in 
the  midst  of  which  Shadow  made  a  playful  pass  as 
if  to  box  Dave's  ear. 

"The  next  time  I  have  a  good  story  like  that 
to  tell  I'll  keep  it  to  myself,"  he  grumbled. 

To  change  the  subject,  some  of  the  boys  asked 
Luke  Watson  to  give  them  a  song.  Luke  was 
willing,  and  getting  out  his  banjo,  tuned  up,  and 
soon  started  a  ditty  about  "A  Coon  Who  Lived 
in  the  Moon,"  or  something  of  that  sort.  Then 
he  began  a  breakdown,  and,  unable  to  resist,  Sam 
Day  got  up  and  began  to  dance  a  step  he  had 
learned  from  his  father's  coachman  at  home. 

"Good  for  you,  Sam!"  cried  Dave.  "That's 
fine!" 

"Sam,  you  ought  to  join  the  minstrels,"  added 
Roger,  and  began  to  keep  time  with  his  hands, 
"patting  juba"  as  it  is  termed  down  South. 

Not  to  be  outdone  by  Sam,  Ben  joined  in  the 
dance,  and  several  lads  began  to  "pat  juba"  as 


58     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

loudly  as  possible.  Growing  very  enthusiastic, 
Ben  leaped  over  a  bed  and  back.  Then  Shadow 
Hamilton  caught  up  a  chair  and  began  to  gallop 
around,  horseback  fashion.  The  chair  caught  in 
a  stand,  and  over  it  went,  carrying  a  lot  of  books 
and  poor  Polly  Vane  with  it. 

"Gracious,  this  won't  do,"  murmured  Dave,  as 
he  set  to  work  to  pick  up  the  books.  "Hi,  stop 
that  racket,  Shadow  I"  he  called  out.  "Do  you 
want  to  get  us  all  into  trouble?" 

"Can't  stop,  I'm  on  the  race-track!"  yelled 
Shadow.  "This  if  the  last  quarter.  Bet  I  win!" 
and  around  the  dormitory  he  spun  again.  This 
time  he  knocked  over  little  Chip  Macklin,  sending 
him  sprawling. 

"Say,  let  up!"  called  out  Roger,  and  catching 
up  one  of  the  books  he  took  aim  at  Shadow.  "If 
you  don't  stop  I'll  throw  this  at  your  head." 

"Can't  stop — let  her  go— if  you  dare!"  called 
back  Shadow. 

Hardly  had  he  spoken  when  the  senator's  son 
let  the  volume  drive.  As  he  did  so  the  dormitory 
door  opened  and  Job  Haskers  appeared.  The 
book  missed  Shadow,  who  dodged,  and  struck  the 
door,  sending  that  barrier  up  against  the  teacher's 
nose  so  sharply  that  Job  Haskers  uttered  a  shrill 
cry  of  mingled  pain  and  alarm. 


"Can't  stop,  I'm  on  the  race-track!"  yelled  Shadow. 
Page  58. 


CHAPTER  VII 

HOW   JOB    HASKERS  WENT  SLEIGH-RIDING 

ON  the  instant  the  noise  in  Dormitory  No.  12 
came  to  an  end.  Shadow  Hamilton  dropped  the 
chair  and  sat  upon  it  and  Luke  Watson  swung  his 
banjo  out  of  sight  under  a  bedspread.  Dave  re- 
mained on  one  knee,  picking  up  the  books  that 
had  been  scattered. 

"You — you  young  rascals!"  spluttered  Job 
Haskers,  when  he  could  speak.  "How  dare  you 
throw  books  at  me?" 

He  glared  around  at  the  students,  then  strode 
into  the  dormitory  and  caught  Dave  by  the  shoul- 
der. 

"I  say  how  dare  you  throw  books  at  me?"  he 
went  on. 

"I  haven't  thrown  any  books,  Mr.  Haskers," 
answered  Dave,  calmly. 

"What!" 

"I  threw  that  book,  Mr.  Haskers,"  said  Roger, 
promptly.  "But  I  didn't  throw  it  at  you." 

"Ahem!  So  it  was  you,  Master  Morr!  Nice 
proceedings,  I  must  say.  Instead  of  going  to  bed 

59 


60    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

you  all  cut  up  like  wild  Indians.  This  must  be 
stopped.  Every  student  in  this  room  will  report 
to  me  to-morrow  after  school.  I  will  take  down 
your  names."  The  teacher  drew  out  a  notebook 
and  began  to  write  rapidly.  "Who  knocked  over 
that  stand?" 

"I  did,"  answered  Shadow.  "It  was  an — er — 
an  accident." 

"Who  was  making  that  awful  noise  danc- 
ing?" 

"I  was  dancing,"  answered  Sam.  "But  I  don't 
think  I  made  much  noise." 

"It  is  outrageous,  this  noise  up  here,  and  it  must 
be  stopped  once  and  for  all.  Now  go  to  bed,  all 
of  you,  and  not  another  sound,  remember!"  And 
with  this  warning,  Job  Haskers  withdrew  from  the 
room,  closing  the  door  sharply  after  him. 

"Now  we  are  in  a  mess!"  muttered  Roger. 

"Isn't  it — er — dreadful!"  lisped  Polly  Vane, 
who  had  taken  no  part  in  the  proceedings,  but  had 
been  looking  over  Dave's  book  on  polar  explora- 
tions. 

"He'll  give  us  extra  lessons  for  this,"  grumbled 
Roger.  "Just  wait  and  see." 

The  next  day  the  weather  remained  fine,  and 
a  number  of  the  students  went  out  coasting  on  a 
hijl  running  down  to  the  river.  Dave  and  his 
friends  wished  they  could  go  along,  as  both  Sam 
and  Ben  had  big  bobs  capable  of  carrying  six  boys 


JOB  MASKERS  GOES  SLEIGH-RIDING     61 

each.  But  after  the  school  session  they  had  to 
report  to  Job  Haskers,  and  he  kept  them  in  until 
supper-time,  doing  examples  in  arithmetic. 

"Say,  Dave,  we  ought  to  square  up  for  this," 
said  Phil.  "See  what  a  lot  of  fun  coasting  we've 
missed." 

"Just  what  I  say,"  added  the  senator's  son. 
"We  must  get  even  with  old  Haskers  some- 
how." 

"Remember  the  time  we  put  the  ram  in  his 
room?"  said  Sam,  with  a  grin. 

"Yes,  and  the  time  we  put  the  bats  in,"  added 
Phil.  "My,  but  didn't  that  cause  a  racket!" 

"Let  us  put  something  else  in  his  room  this 
time,"  said  Ben. 

"Oh,  that's  old,"  answered  Dave.  "We  ought 
to  hit  on  something  new." 

"If  we  could  only  play  some  joke  on  him  outside 
of  the  academy,"  said  the  senator's  son. 

"He  is  going  to  Oakdale  to-night;  I  heard  him 
mention  it  to  Mr.  Dale." 

"Did  he  say  when  he  would  be  back?" 

"Yes — not  later  than  eleven  o'clock." 

"Maybe  we  can  have  some  fun  with  him  on  his 
return,"  said  Dave.  "I'll  try  to  think  up  some- 
thing." 

They  watched  and  saw  Job  Haskers  leave  the 
Hall  dressed  in  his  best.  He  drove  off  in  a  cutter 
belonging  to  Doctor  Clay.  But  he  had  hardly 


62     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

reached  the  gateway  of  the  grounds  when  he  turned 
around  and  came  back  again. 

"Forgotten  something,  I  suppose,"  said  Dave, 
who  had  been  watching. 

Job  Haskers  ran  up  the  steps  of  the  Hall  and 
disappeared. 

"Come,  Roger,  quick  1"  cried  Dave.  "We'll  un- 
hook the  horse  1" 

The  senator's  son  understood,  and  in  a  trice  he 
followed  Dave  outside.  It  was  rather  dark,  so 
they  were  unobserved.  With  great  rapidity  they 
unhooked  the  traces  and  unbuckled  the  straps 
around  the  shafts.  Fortunately  the  horse  did  not 
move. 

"Wait,  we'll  fix  up  the  seat  for  him,"  said  Dave, 
and  lifting  the  cushion  he  placed  some  snow  and 
ice  beneath.  "That  will  make  things  warm  for 
him." 

"I'll  put  a  cake  of  ice  in  the  bottom,  too,  for  his 
feet,"  raid  the  senator's  son,  with  a  grin,  and  did 
so,  covering  it  partly  with  the  lap-robe.  Then 
the  lads  hurried  into  the  school. 

Soon  Job  Haskers  came  from  the  Hall  with  a 
small  packet  in  his  hand.  The  boys  watched  from 
some  side  windows  and  saw  him  leap  into  the  cut- 
ter. He  took  up  the  reins. 

"Get  ap!"  he  chirped  to  the  horse,  and  gave  a 
quick  jerk  on  the  lines. 

The  steed  did  as  bidden  and  began  to  move 


JOB  MASKERS  GOES  SLEIGH-RIDING     63 

out  of  the  shafts  of  the  cutter.  At  first  Job 
Haskers  could  not  believe  the  evidence  of  his 
eyesight. 

"Hi!  hold  up!"  he  yelled.  "What  the  mis- 
chief! Who  did "  And  then  his  remarks 

came  to  a  sudden  end.  He  tried  to  hold  the  horse 
back,  but  could  not,  and  in  a  twinkling  he  was 
dragged  over  the  dashboard  and  landed  head  first 
in  the  snow  of  the  road.  Then  the  horse,  no 
doubt  startled  at  the  unusual  proceedings,  started 
off  on  a  trot,  dragging  the  teacher  after  him. 

"Whoa,  I  say!  Whoa  there!"  spluttered  Job 
Haskers.  "Whoa !"  and  he  tried  to  regain  his 
feet,  only  to  plunge  down  once  more,  this  time  on 
his  face.  Then  he  let  go  the  reins  and  the  horse 
trotted  off,  coming  to  a  halt  near  the  campus  gate- 
way. 

If  ever  there  was  an  angry  man  that  individual 
was  Job  Haskers.  He  had  intended  to  make  an 
evening  call  on  some  ladies,  and  had  spent  con- 
siderable time  over  his  toilet.  Now  his  beautiful 
expanse  of  white  shirt  front  was  wet  and  mussed 
up  and  he  had  a  goodly  quantity  of  snow  down 
his  back. 

"Who  did  this?  Who  did  this?"  he  cried, 
dancing  around  in  his  rage.  "Oh,  if  I  only  catch 
the  boy  who  did  this,  I  will  punish  him  well  for  it." 

He  looked  around  sharply,  and  at  that  moment 
a  student  chanced  to  come  around  the  corner  of 


64    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

the  Hall,  on  the  way  to  the  gymnasium  building. 
Job  Haskers  leaped  towards  him  and  caught  him 
roughly  by  the  shoulder. 

"Ha!  I  have  you,  you  young  imp!"  he  cried. 
"How  dare  you  do  such  a  thing  to  me!  How 
dare  you !"  And  he  shook  the  boy  as  a  dog  shakes 
a  rat. 

"St — top!"  spluttered  the  pupil,  in  consterna- 
tion and  alarm.  "Stop,  I  say!  I — I Oh, 

Mr.  Haskers,  let  up,  please!  Don't  shake  me  to 
pieces !" 

"Well,  I  never!"  whispered  Dave  to  Phil  and 
Roger. 

"Who  is  it?" 

"Nat  Poole." 

"Oh  my!  but  he's  catching  it  right  enough," 
chuckled  the  senator's  son. 

"Will  unharness  my  horse!"  went  on  Job  Has- 
kers. "Will  throw  me  on  my  head  in  the  snow ! 
Oh,  you  imp!"  And  he  continued  to  shake  poor 
Nat  until  the  latter's  teeth  rattled. 

"I — I  won't  stand  this !"  cried  Nat  at  last,  and 
struck  out  blindly,  landing  a  blow  on  the  teacher's 
ear. 

"Ha !  so  you  dare  to  strike  me !"  spluttered  Job 
Haskers.  "I— I- 

"Let  go!  I  haven't  done  anything!"  roared 
Nat.  "Let  go,  or  I'll  kick!" 

Now,  the  assistant  teacher  did  not  fancy  being 


JOB  HASKERS  GOES  SLEIGH-RIDING     65 

kicked,  so  he  dropped  his  hold  and  Nat  Poole 
speedily  retreated  to  a  safe  distance. 

"You  unharnessed  my  horse "  began  Job 

Haskers. 

"I  never  touched  your  horse — I  don't  know 
anything  about  your  horse,"  exploded  Nat. 

"Didn't  I  catch  you?" 

"I  just  came  from  the  library.  I  left  a  pair 
of  skates  in  the  gym.,  and  I  was  going  to  get  them. 
I've  been  in  the  library  for  half  an  hour,"  went 
on  the  dude  of  the  school.  "It's  an  outrage  the 
way  you've  treated  me.  I  am  going  to  report  it 
to  Doctor  Clay."  And  he  started  for  the  front 
door  of  the  school. 

"Wait  1  Stop !"  called  Job  Haskers,  in  sudden 
alarm.  "Do  you  mean  to  say  you  know  absolutely 
nothing  about  this?" 

"No,  I  don't." 

"Somebody  came  out  here  while  I  was  in  the 
Hall  and  unharnessed  the  horse." 

"Well,  it  wasn't  me,  and  you  had  no  right  to 
pounce  on  me  as  you  did,"  grumbled  Nat  Poole. 
"I  am  going  to  report  it  to  Doctor  Clay." 

"Stop!  I — er — if  I  made  a  mistake,  Poole, 
I  am  sorry  for  it,"  said  the  teacher,  in  a  more 
subdued  tone.  "Have  you  any  idea  who  could 
have  played  this  trick  on  me?" 

"No,  and  I  don't  care,"  snorted  the  dudish 
pupil.  "I  am  going  to  report  to  the  doctor  and 


66    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

see  if  he  will  allow  an  innocent  pupil  to  be  handled 
like  a  tramp."  And  off  marched  Nat  Poole,  just 
as  angry  as  Job  Haskers. 

"Good  for  Nat,"  whispered  Phil.  "I  hope  he 
does  report  old  Haskers." 

"We  must  look  out  that  we  are  not  caught," 
answered  Dave.  "How  funny  it  did  look  when 
Haskers  went  over  the  dashboard!"  And  he 
laughed  merrily. 

The  boys  took  themselves  to  a  safe  place  in  the 
lower  hallway.  They  saw  Nat  Poole  come  in  and 
march  straight  for  Doctor  Clay's  office.  The  mas- 
ter of  the  Hall  was  in,  and  an  animated  discussion 
lasting  several  minutes  took  place.  Then  the  doc- 
tor came  out  to  interview  Job  Haskers,  who  in  the 
meantime  had  caught  the  horse  and  was  hooking 
him  up  once  more. 

"Mr.  Haskers,  what  does  this  mean?"  asked  the 
doctor,  in  rather  a  cold  tone.  "Master  Poole 
says  you  attacked  him  and  shook  him  without  prov- 
ocation." 

"Somebody  has  been  playing  a  trick  on  me — I 
thought  it  was  Poole,"  was  the  reply,  and  the 
teacher  told  what  had  happened.  "Just  look  at 
that  shirt,  and  my  back  is  full  of  snow !" 

The  doctor  looked  and  was  inclined  to  smile. 
But  he  kept  a  straight  face. 

"Certainly  nobody  had  a  right  to  play  such  a 
trick,"  said  he.  "But  you  shouldn't  punish  Poole 


JOB  HASKERS  GOES  SLEIGH-RIDING     67 

for  what  he  didn't  do.  You  are  altogether  too 
hasty  at  times,  Mr.  Haskers." 

"Am  I?  Well,  perhaps;  but  some  of  the  boys 
here  need  a  club,  and  need  it  badly,  too  I" 

"I  do  not  agree  with  you.  They  like  a  little 
fun,  but  that  is  only  natural.  Occasionally  they 
go  a  little  too  far,  but  I  do  not  look  to  a  clubbing 
as  a  remedy." 

"I  wish  I  could  find  out  who  played  this  trick 
on  me." 

"Don't  you  think  you  owe  Poole  an  apology?" 

"An  apology?"  gasped  Job  Haskers.  Such  a 
thing  had  never  occurred  to  him. 

"Yes.    You  are  certainly  in  the  wrong." 

"I'll  apologize  to  nobody,"  snapped  the  teacher. 

"Well,  after  this  you  be  more  careful  as  to  how 
you  attack  my  students,"  said  Doctor  Clay,  severely. 
"Otherwise,  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  resign  your 
position." 

Some  sharp  words  followed,  and  in  the  end 
Job  Haskers  drove  off  feeling  decidedly  humble. 
He  could  not  afford  to  throw  up  his  contract  with 
the  doctor,  and  he  was  afraid  that  the  latter  might 
demand  his  resignation.  But  he  was  very  angry, 
and  the  discovery  of  the  ice  and  snow  in  the  cutter, 
later  on,  did  not  tend  to  make  his  temper  any 
sweeter. 

"I'll  find  out  who  did  this!"  he  muttered  to 
himself.  "And  when  I  do,  I'll  fix  him,  as  sure 


68    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

as  my  name  is  Job  Haskers."  But  he  never  did 
find  out;  and  there  the  incident  came  to  an  end. 
The  boys  thought  they  had  had  fun  enough  for 
one  night,  and  so  did  not  watch  for  the  teacher's 
return  to  Oak  Hall. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A   MYSTERIOUS    LETTER 

IN  the  morning  mail  Gus  Plum  received  a  let- 
ter postmarked  London  which  he  read  with  much 
interest.  Then  he  called  on  Dave. 

"I've  just  received  a  letter  I  want  you  to  read," 
he  said.  "It  is  from  Nick  Jasniff,  and  he  men- 
tions you."  And  he  handed  over  the  communica- 
tion. 

It  was  a  long  rambling  epistle,  upbraiding  Plum 
roundly  for  "having  gone  back  on  him,"  as  Jas- 
niff  put  it.  The  writer  said  he  was  now  "doing 
Europe"  and  having  a  good  time  generally.  One 
portion  of  the  letter  read  as  follows : 

"The  authorities  needn't  look  for  me,  for  they 
will  never  find  me.  I  struck  a  soft  thing  over  here 
and  am  about  seventy  pounds  to  the  good.  Tell 
Dave  Porter  I  could  tell  him  something  he  would 
like  to  hear — about  his  folks — but  I  am  not  going 
to  do  it.  I  don't  think  he'll  meet  that  father  of  his 
just  yet,  or  that  pretty  sister  of  his  either.  She'd 
be  all  right  if  she  didn't  have  such  a  lunkhead  of  a 

69 


70    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

brother.  Tell  him  that  some  day  I'll  square  up 
with  him  and  put  him  in  a  bigger  hole  than  he  got 
me  into.  If  it  wasn't  for  him  I  wouldn't  have  to 
stay  away  as  I'm  doing — not  but  what  I'm  having 
a  good  time — better  than  grinding  away  at  Oak 
Hall." 

As  may  be  imagined,  Dave  read  this  letter  with 
even  greater  interest  than  had  Gus  Plum.  What 
was  said  about  his  father  and  sister  mystified  him. 

"Can  it  be  possible  that  Nick  Jasniff  has  met 
them?"  he  said. 

"To  me  the  letter  reads  that  way,  Dave,"  an- 
swered Plum.  "He  mentions  your  sister  as  being 
pretty  and  all  right,  and  how  could  he  do  that 
if  he  hadn't  seen  her?  Yes,  I  think  they  must 
have  met." 

"Then  perhaps  my  folks  have  been  in  London 
all  this  time — and  I  didn't  know  it.  Gus,  I'd  like 
to  copy  part  of  that  letter  and  send  it  to  my  uncle." 

"Very  well — and  I  am  going  to  show  the  letter 
to  Doctor  Clay,"  answered  the  former  bully  of 
Oak  Hall. 

Dave  copied  that  portion  of  the  letter  which 
interested  him  and  forwarded  it  to  Dunston  Por- 
ter, along  with  a  communication  in  which  he  asked 
his  uncle  about  taking  a  trip  to  London.  He  said 
he  was  tired  of  waiting  and  would  like  to  start 
on  a  hunt  for  his  father  and  sister  without  further 


A  MYSTERIOUS  LETTER  71 

delay.  After  sending  the  letter  he  talked  the 
matter  over  with  Roger. 

"You  can't  imagine  how  impatient  I  am  to  meet 
my  father  and  sister,"  he  said.  "Why,  some  days 
I  get  so  I  can  hardly  fasten  my  mind  on  my  studies, 
and  I  go  in  for  fun  just  to  help  me  forget  what  is 
on  my  mind." 

"I  can  appreciate  your  feelings,  Dave,"  an- 
swered his  chum,  kindly.  "I'd  feel  the  same  way 
if  my  folks  were  missing.  If  you  go  to  Lon- 
don, do  you  know  I'd  like  first-rate  to  go  with 
you." 

"I'd  like  very  much  to  have  you,  Roger.  But 
how  could  you  get  away?" 

"Oh,  I  think  I  could  manage  that.  My  mother 
thinks  I  am  pushing  ahead  almost  too  fast  in  my 
studies — the  doctor  said  I  was  growing  too  fast 
and  studying  too  much  at  the  same  time.  I  think 
she'd  be  willing  for  me  to  take  the  trip, — and  what 
she  says,  father  always  agrees  to." 

"Where  are  your  folks — in  Washington?" 

"Yes,  they  stay  at  a  hotel  there  during  the  time 
Congress  is  in  session." 

"Well,  I  will  have  to  see  what  my  uncle  says 
before  I  make  any  move,"  said  Dave;  and  there 
the  talk  came  to  an  end. 

Gus  Plum  had  written  to  the  men  to  whom  he 
owed  his  gambling  debt,  and  they  agreed  to  meet 
him  at  the  Oakdale  depot  on  Saturday  afternoon 


72    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

at  four  o'clock.  They  wrote  that  if  he  did  not 
pay  up  at  that  time  in  full  they  would  expose 
him. 

"I  believe  they  are  bluffing,"  said  Dave,  after 
he  heard  of  this.  "They  will  not  expose  you  so 
long  as  they  think  there  is  any  chance  of  getting 
more  money  from  you.  I  wish  you  could  prove 
that  you  had  been  swindled, — then  you  wouldn't 
have  to  pay  them  a  cent." 

"Well,  I  can't  prove  that — although  I  think  it," 
answered  the  former  bully,  with  a  long  sigh. 

Saturday  noon  it  began  to  snow,  so  that  the 
majority  of  the  students  remained  indoors  or 
spent  the  time  over  at  the  gymnasium.  Dave  ex- 
cused himself  to  his  chums  and  met  Gus  Plum  at 
a  spot  agreed  upon,  and  both  set  off  for  Oakdale 
on  foot. 

"I  suppose  I  might  have  asked  the  doctor  for 
a  cutter,"  said  Plum.  "But  I  was  afraid  he  might 
ask  embarrassing  questions." 

"We  can  walk  it  easily  enough,"  answered  Dave. 
"The  road  is  well-broken." 

"Dave,  you  are  putting  yourself  out  a  good  deal 
for  me,"  answered  Plum,  gratefully.  "Somehow, 
I'd  hate  to  meet  those  men  alone." 

"They  must  be  scamps,  or  they  wouldn't  try  to 
lead  a  student  like  you  astray." 

On  and  on  the  two  boys  went,  past  several 
places  which  were  familiar  to  them.  The  snow 


A  MYSTERIOUS  LETTER  73 

did  not  bother  them  much,  and  before  long  they 
reached  the  outskirts  of  the  village. 

"There  are  the  two  men  now  I"  cried  Gus  Plum, 
and  pointed  across  the  way. 

"They  are  not  going  to  the  depot,"  answered 
Dave.  "They  are  turning  down  Main  Street. 
Supposing  we  follow  them,  Gus?" 

"I'm  willing,  but  I  don't  see  what  good  it  will 
do." 

"Well,  it  won't  do  any  harm." 

The  two  men  were  burly  individuals  who  had 
evidently  seen  better  days.  Each  was  shabbily 
dressed  and  each  had  a  nose  that  was  suspiciously 
red.  Plum  said  that  one  was  named  Blodgett  and 
the  other  Volney. 

"I  believe  they  came  here  from  Hartford,"  the 
big  youth  added.  "I  wish  I  had  their  record  from 
that  city." 

The  men  turned  into  a  resort  that  was  half  tav- 
ern and  half  restaurant.  At  the  doorway  they  met 
another  burly  fellow  who  had  evidently  been  drink- 
ing pretty  freely. 

"Hello,  Blodgett!"  cried  this  man.  "Glad  to 
see  you  again.  Hello,  Volney !" 

"How  are  you,  Crandall,"  answered  Blodgett, 
while  Volney  nodded  pleasantly.  "What  brought 
you  to  town  ?" 

"Was  looking  for  you  two  chaps." 

"Why?"  questioned  Volney,  quickly. 


74    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Oh,  I've  got  news  that  will  interest  you." 

"About  Sadler?" 

"Yes." 

"Tell  me  about  it,"  demanded  Blodgett, 
hoarsely.  "What  has  he  found  out?" 

"A  whole  lot." 

"Does  he  suspect  us?" 

"I  don't  know  as  to  that.  He  suspects  some- 
body." 

"You  didn't  tell  him  anything,  did  you?"  asked 
Volney,  catching  Crandall  by  the  arm. 

"No,  but  he  is  satisfied  that  he  was  swindled.  He 
was  going  to  the  Hartford  police  about  it." 

"Hang  the  luck!"  muttered  Blodgett.  "Tell  us 
the  particulars." 

"Come  inside  and  I  will — it's  too  cold  out 
here,"  was  the  answer;  and  then  the  three  men 
entered  the  tavern. 

Dave  and  Gus  Plum  had  not  heard  all  of  the 
talk,  but  they  had  heard  enough,  and  each  looked  at 
the  other  inquiringly. 

"I  believe  they  are  thorough  rascals,"  said 
Dave.  "I  wish  we  could  hear  the  rest  of  what 
that  Crandall  has  to  say." 

"Come  with  me — I've  been  in  this  building 
before,"  answered  the  former  bully  of  Oak 
Hall. 

He  led  the  way  to  an  alley  halfway  down  the 
block.  This  ran  to  the  rear  of  the  tavern,  where 


A  MYSTERIOUS  LETTER  75 

there  was  a  door  communicating  with  a  hallway 
and  a  back  stairs.  Under  the  stairs  was  a  closet 
filled  with  discarded  cooking  utensils.  The  closet 
had  two  doors,  one  opening  into  a  drinking-room 
behind  the  main  bar-room  of  the  tavern. 

Looking  through  a  crack  of  the  door,  they  saw 
that  the  three  men  had  seated  themselves,  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  resort  spending  his  time  with  some 
men  in  front. 

"Now  give  us  the  straight  of  the  story," 
Blodgett  was  saying. 

Thereupon  Crandall  launched  into  a  tale  that 
took  him  the  best  part  of  ten  minutes  to  relate. 
From  his  talk  it  was  clear  that  a  man  named 
Dodsworth  Sadler,  of  Hartford,  had  met  the 
three  men  at  Albany  and  gambled  with  them  on 
three  different  occasions.  Sadler  had  lost  several 
hundred  dollars  one  night  and  nearly  a  thousand 
the  next,  and  then  Blodgett  and  Volney  had  come 
away.  Now  Sadler  had  discovered  that  marked 
cards  were  in  use  at  the  place  he  had  visited,  and 
he  was  satisfied  that  he  had  been  swindled,  if  not 
in  all  the  games  at  least  in  some  of  them. 

"Well,  we  did  him  up,  that's  certain,"  said 
Blodgett,  with  a  coarse  laugh.  "But  I  don't  want 
him  to  learn  the  truth  if  it  can  be  helped." 

"No,  we  want  to  keep  him  in  the  dark — hold 
him  down  like  that  boarding-school  chap  here," 
chuckled  Volney. 


76    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Never  mind  about  that,"  said  Blodgett, 
sharply. 

"Got  somebody  else  on  the  string  here,  eh?" 
observed  Crandall.  "You  always  were  the  boys 
to  keep  things  moving." 

"Oh,  this  is  only  a  small  affair — mere  pocket 
money,"  answered  Blodgett. 

At  this  point  the  conversation  changed,  and  it 
came  out  that  Crandall  was  out  of  money  and 
wanted  a  loan  of  fifty  dollars. 

"We  can't  give  it  to  you  now,"  said  Volney. 
"But  wait  till  to-night  and  I'll  let  you  have  ten 
dollars." 

"And  I'll  let  you  have  the  same,"  said  Blodgett. 
"We've  got  to  collect  a  trifle  first." 

"All  right.  Twenty  is  little  enough,  but  it  will 
tide  me  over  until  I  hit  my  streak  again,"  answered 
Crandall.  And  after  a  little  more  talk  the  men 
arose  and  prepared  to  separate. 

"We've  heard  enough,"  whispered  Dave  to 
Gus  Plum.  "Come  on,"  and  he  led  the  way  out  of 
the  building  and  down  the  alley. 

"What  do  you  think?"  demanded  the  former 
bully,  when  they  were  on  the  street  again. 

"Just  as  I  suspected,  Blodgett  and  Volney  are 
nothing  but  sharpers.  They  undoubtedly  swindled 
you.  I  shouldn't  pay  them  a  cent." 

"But  they  may  expose  me  to  the  doctor, 
Dave." 


A  MYSTERIOUS  LETTER  77 

"I  don't  think  they  will — not  after  you  talk  to 
them." 

"I  hardly  know  what  to  say." 

"Then  suppose  you  let  me  do  the  talking,  Gus?" 

"You?" 

"Yes,  I  fancy  I  know  how  to  handle  them,"  an- 
swered Dave,  confidently. 

"Well,  I  don't  want  to  get  into  any  hole,"  said 
the  big  boy,  doubtfully. 

"You  won't  get  into  any  hole.  When  I  get 
through  with  them,  I'm  sure  they  will  be  only  too 
glad  to  leave  you  alone." 

The  two  boys  talked  the  matter  over,  and  at 
last  Gus  Plum  agreed  to  let  Dave  conduct  the 
affair  as  he  thought  best.  Then  both  walked  to 
the  Oakdale  depot,  there  to  await  the  arrival  of 
the  two  swindlers. 


CHAPTER  IX 

DAVE   TALKS  TO  THE   POINT 

IT  was  not  long  before  Blodgett  and  Volney 
put  in  an  appearance.  They  had  had  several 
glasses  of  liquor  at  the  tavern,  and  walked  along 
as  if  very  well  satisfied  with  themselves. 

"So  you  are  here,"  said  Blodgett,  striding  up 
to  Gus  Plum  and  holding  out  his  hand.  "Shake, 
my  boy  1" 

"I  don't  care  to  shake  hands  with  you,"  replied 
the  former  bully  of  Oak  Hall. 

"Oh,  so  that's  your  lay,  is  it?"  sneered  the  man. 
"Very  well — but  I  thought  you  were  a  better 
loser." 

"Let  us  have  this  meeting  over  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible," put  in  Volney.  "Have  you  got  the  money  ?" 

Instead  of  replying,  Plum  looked  at  Dave,  and 
then  for  the  first  time  the  two  sharpers  noticed 
that  the  lad  they  had  come  to  meet  was  not  alone. 

"Who's  your  friend?  Thought  you'd  come 
alone,"  said  Blodgett,  somewhat  roughly. 

"I  believe  your  name  is  Blodgett,"  remarked 
Dave,  drawing  himself  up  and  looking  as  business- 
like as  possible. 

78 


DAVE  TALKS  TO  THE  POINT  79 

"That's  my  name,  yes.     What  of  it?" 

"And  your  name,  I  believe,  is  Volney,"  went  on 
Dave,  turning  to  the  second  rascal. 

"Yes.     Who  are  you?" 

"Never  mind  that  just  now.  Both  of  you  come 
from  Hartford;  isn't  that  so?" 

"What  if  we  do?"  asked  Blodgett. 

"Some  time  ago  you  got  this  young  man  to  gam- 
ble with  you,  and  he  lost  considerable  money.  Now 
you  want  him  to  pay  up." 

"Hadn't  he  ought  to  pay  up?"  asked  Volney. 
He  was  growing  uneasy. 

"He  isn't  going  to  pay  you  a  cent." 

"What's  that?"  came  quickly  from  Blodgett. 

"I  say  he  isn't  going  to  pay  you  a  cent,  Mr. 
Blodgett.  Is  that  plain  enough  for  you  to  under- 
stand?" answered  Dave,  sharply. 

"Who  are  you,  I'd  like  to  know,  to  interfere 
with  our  dealings!"  cried  Jack  Blodgett. 

"Perhaps  I'll  tell  you  who  I  am  later  on.  I 
found  out  about  this  just  in  time,  it  seems.  You 
came  from  Hartford,  but  you  have  been  in  Al- 
bany lately.  While  you  were  in  Albany  you  swin- 
dled a  man  named  Dodsworth  Sadler  out  of  a 
large  sum  of  money — at  least  twelve  or  fifteen 
hundred  dollars." 

"Say,  look  here "  began  Blodgett,  and  his 

tone  became  nervous. 

"You  used  marked  cards,  just  as  you  did  when 


8o    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

you  played  with  this  young  man.  I  think  when 

you  find  yourselves  in  the  hands  of  the  police 

Hi !  stop,  don't  be  going  in  such  a  hurry!" 

For,  turning  swiftly,  Blodgett  had  rushed  from 
the  depot.  Volney  followed  him. 

"They  are  running  away!"  cried  Gus  Plum. 
He  could  scarcely  believe  the  evidence  of  his 
senses. 

"Let  us  give  them  a  good  scare  while  we  are 
at  it,"  answered  Dave,  and  he  ran  outside  and  after 
the  swindlers,  who  cut  across  the  tracks  and  made 
for  the  freight-house.  Here  a  freight-train  was 
just  starting  out,  and  the  men  hopped  aboard  and 
were  soon  out  of  sight. 

"There,  I  guess  you  have  seen  the  last  of  them, 
Gus,"  said  Dave,  when  he  and  the  big  youth  had 
given  up  the  chase. 

"Do  you  really  think  so?" 

"I  feel  sure  of  it." 

"Maybe  they  took  you  for  some  officer  of  the 
law." 

"I  don't  know  as  to  that,  but  they  were 
thoroughly  scared.  I  don't  believe  they  will  ever 
show  their  faces  near  Oakdale  again." 

"But  they  may  write  to  Doctor  Clay." 

"I  shouldn't  worry  about  that,  Gus.  They  will 
make  themselves  as  scarce  as  possible,  for  they 
will  now  know  that  Dodsworth  Sadler  is  on  the 
lookout  for  them." 


DAVE  TALKS  TO  THE  POINT  81 

"Don't  you  think  we  ought  to  let  Dodsworth 
Sadler  know  about  this?  I  might  write  him  an 
anonymous  letter." 

"You  won't  have  to,  Gus.  I'll  write  him  a 
letter,  telling  of  what  I  heard.  That  won't  bring 
you  into  it  at  all,  and  as  I  had  nothing  to  do  with 
Blodgett  and  Volney,  those  fellows  can't  hurt  me." 

"Oh,  Dave,  what  a  head  you've  got  for  things  I" 
cried  the  former  bully,  admiringly.  "I  suppose 
you'll  say  you  simply  overheard  the  talk  while  you 
were  in  Oakdale." 

"Yes,  and  I'll  add  that  when  the  swindlers 
found  out  I  knew  the  truth,  they  jumped  on  a 
freight-train  and  ran  away." 

When  the  two  boys  returned  to  Oak  Hall,  Gus 
Plum  felt  in  better  spirits  than  he  had  for  a  long 
time.  He  returned  the  money  to  Dave  and 
thanked  him  over  and  over  for  all  he  had  done. 
Dave  penned  the  letter  to  Dodsworth  Sadler  with- 
out delay,  and  it  was  posted  early  Monday  morn- 
ing. 

"I  hope  I  get  a  letter  from  my  uncle  to-day," 
said  Dave  to  Roger.  But  no  communication  came, 
for  Dunston  Porter  had  gone  to  Boston  on  busi- 
ness, and  did  not  return  to  Crumville  for  several 
days. 

The  weather  was  now  clear  and  bright  and  the 
wind  had  swept  a  good  portion  of  the  river  clear 
of  snow.  As  a  consequence  many  of  the  boys  went 


82     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

out  skating,  while  a  few  brought  out  the  ice-boats 
they  had  constructed. 

Among  the  latter  affairs  was  the  Snowbird,  built 
by  two  students  named  Messmer  and  Henshaw. 
It  was  not  a  handsome  craft,  but  it  could  make 
good  speed,  and  that  was  what  the  boys  wanted. 

"Come  on  for  a  sail,  Dave!"  called  Henshaw, 
after  school-hours  on  Tuesday.  "It's  just  grand 
on  the  river." 

"I  was  going  skating  with  Roger  and  Phil,"  was 
the  reply.  "Otherwise  I'd  like  to  go  first-rate." 

"Tell  them  to  come  too,"  said  Messmer,  a  lad 
who  always  liked  to  have  company  on  his  rides. 

The  matter  was  quickly  arranged,  and  Shadow 
Hamilton  was  also  included  in  the  party.  The 
ice-boat  was  rather  crowded,  but  that  only  added 
to  the  sport. 

"Hold  tight,  everybody!"  cried  Henshaw,  as 
he  raised  the  sail.  There  was  a  good,  stiff  breeze, 
and  in  a  minute  the  Snowbird  was  bowling  along 
in  grand  style,  the  students  shrieking  their  delight 
as  they  passed  their  numerous  friends  on  skates. 

"Come  along  and  race!"  cried  Roger,  to  Sam 
Day. 

"Give  me  a  tow  and  I  will,"  was  the  merry 
reply. 

"Be  sure  to  return  when  you  get  back!"  called 
out  Ben  Basswood,  and  this  remark  caused  a  gen- 
eral laugh. 


DAVE  TALKS  TO  THE  POINT  83 

"Do  you  remember  the  ice-boat  race  we  had  with 
the  Rockville  cadets?"  said  Messmer. 

"Yes,  and  the  accident,"  replied  Dave.  "We 
don't  want  to  run  into  anything  again." 

"I  say,  fellows,  let  us  visit  that  cabin  on  the 
island!"  cried  Roger.  "Maybe  we'll  find  out 
something  more  about  Pud  Frodel  and  that  other 
fellow." 

The  senator's  son  referred  to  a  cabin  located  on 
a  lonely  island  some  distance  from  Oak  Hall. 
Here  it  was  that  the  lads  had  discovered  the  two 
robbers  with  whom  Nick  Jasniff  had  been  asso- 
ciated, and  had  given  to  the  authorities  the  infor- 
mation which  had  led  to  the  rascals'  capture. 

"I'm  willing  to  go,"  said  Henshaw.  "Only  we 
can't  stay  on  the  island  too  long,  for  we'll  have  to 
get  back  before  it  gets  too  dark." 

As  the  ice-boat  swept  along  they  passed  quite 
a  number  of  boys  on  skates.  Presently  they  came 
to  a  crowd  of  six,  all  attired  in  neat  semi-military 
uniforms. 

"Hello,  Oak  Hall!"  was  the  cry. 

"Hello,  Rockville!" 

"Where  are  you  going  with  that  tub?" 

"Looking  for  another  Rockville  boat  to  beat!" 
sang  out  Henshaw.  How  he  had  once  won  an 
ice-boat  race  against  the  military  academy  lads  is 
already  known  to  my  old  readers. 

"Go  along,  we're  going  to  build  a  boat  that  will 


84    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

leave  you  away  behind,"  retorted  one  of  the  Rock- 
ville  cadets. 

"Brag  is  a  good  hoss,  but  Get-there  takes  the 
oats!"  cried  Dave,  and  then  the  Snowbird  swept 
out  of  hearing  of  the  military  academy  lads. 

"They  didn't  like  it  at  all,  that  we  beat  them," 
was  Roger's  comment.  "Wonder  if  they  will  try 
to  build  a  swifter  boat?" 

"Let  them  come  on,"  answered  Dave.  "We 
can  build  another  boat,  too,  if  it's  necessary." 

"Say,  their  blowing  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story," 
came  from  Shadow  Hamilton.  "Two  little 
boys " 

"Oh,  Shadow,  another?"  groaned  Messmer,  re- 
proachfully. 

"Let  him  tell  it,  it  will  help  to  pass  the  time," 
remarked  Henshaw.  "I  know  it's  all  about  two 
poor  lads  who  were  caught  in  a  snowstorm  and 
had  to  shovel  their  way  out  with  nothing  but 
toothpicks." 

"No,  it's  about  two  boys  who  sold  suspension 
bridges  for  a  living,"  cried  Dave,  merrily.  "They 
sold  as  high  as  eighteen  a  day,  and " 

"Say,  if  you  want  to  hear  this  story,  say  so," 
demanded  Shadow.  "These  little  boys  got  to 
bragging  what  each  could  do.  Says  one,  'I  kin 
climb  our  apple  tree  clear  to  the  top.'  Says  the 
other,  'Huh !  I  can  climb  to  the  roof  of  our  house.' 
'Hum,'  says  the  first  boy,  'I  can  climb  to  the  roof 


DAVE  TALKS  TO  THE  POINT  85 

of  our  house,  an'  it's  higher'n  yours.'  'No,  'taint.' 
'It  is  so — it's  got  a  cupola  on  top.'  'I  don't  care,' 
cried  the  other  boy.  'Our's  is  higher.  It's  got  a 
mortgage  on  it — I  heard  dad  say  so !'  '  And  a 
smile  went  the  rounds. 

Not  having  any  other  name,  the  boys  had 
christened  the  place  for  which  they  were  bound, 
Robber  Island.  It  was  a  lonely  spot,  rocky  in 
some  places  and  covered  with  woods  and  under- 
brush in  others.  The  shore  was  fringed  with 
bushes,  through  which  the  driven  snow  had  sifted 
to  a  depth  of  two  feet  and  more. 

"Here  we  are!"  cried  Dave,  as  they  came  in 
sight  of  one  end  of  the  island.  "Lower  the  sail, 
or  we'll  be  sliding  into  the  trees  and  rocks." 

They  made  a  safe  landing,  and  then  prepared 
to  walk  to  the  cabin,  which  was  some  distance 
away.  Henshaw  looked  doubtfully  at  the  ice- 
boat. 

"Think  she'll  be  all  right?"  he  asked,  of  Mess- 
mer. 

"I  think  so." 

"Oh,  sure  she'll  be  all  right,  With  the  sail  down," 
added  Roger. 

"Wonder  if  there  are  any  wild  animals  on  this 
island?"  questioned  Shadow. 

"Might  be  an  elephant  or  two,"  answered  Dave, 
"or  half  a  dozen  royal  Bengal  tigers." 

"Quit    your    fooling,     Dave.      I    reckon    you 


86    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

wouldn't  want  to  meet  a  bear  or  a  wildcat  any 
more  than  myself." 

"No  bears  around  here,"  said  the  senator's  son. 
"Might  be  a  wildcat  though,  or  a  fox.  I'm  going 
to  get  a  good  stick." 

Each  student  provided  himself  with  a  stout 
stick,  and  then  the  whole  crowd  moved  forward 
in  the  direction  of  the  cabin  in  the  center  of  the 
island,  never  dreaming  of  the  astonishing  adven- 
ture in  store  for  them. 


CHAPTER  X 

AN  ADVENTURE  ON  ROBBER  ISLAND 

THE  way  to  the  lonely  cabin  was  not  an  easy 
one.  There  was  no  path,  and  they  had  to  scramble 
over  rough  rocks  and  across  fallen  trees  and 
through  thick  masses  of  brushwood.  They  for- 
got about  the  gully,  and  only  remembered  it  when 
they  found  themselves  floundering  in  snow  up  to 
their  waists. 

"For  gracious'  sake!"  cried  the  senator's  son, 
as  he  crawled  out  the  best  way  he  could.  "I  fan- 
cied the  bottom  had  dropped  out  of  everything!" 

"I  remember  this  hollow  now,"  answered  Dave. 
"We  haven't  got  much  further  to  go." 

It  was  a  clear  December  day  and  quite  light 
under  the  leafless  trees.  There  were  a  few  ever- 
greens scattered  about,  but  not  many,  and  these 
hung  low  with  their  weight  of  snow.  All  was  in- 
tensely silent. 

"This  ought  to  be  lonely  enough  to  suit  any- 
body," observed  Henshaw.  He  turned  to  Roger. 
"How  would  you  like  to  come  out  here  some  dark 
night  all  alone?" 

8? 


88    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"None  of  that  for  me,"  was  the  quick  answer. 

"Might  meet  a  ghost,"  said  Dave,  with  a  smile. 

"Talking  of  ghosts  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story," 
said  Shadow.  "A  boy  once  had  to  go  through  a 
dark  woods  all  alone " 

"Shadow  wants  to  get  us  scared,"  interrupted 
Dave.  "Oh,  Shadow,  I  didn't  think  it  of  you  I  It's 
bad  enough  as  it  is,"  he  went  on,  in  seeming  re- 
proach. "Don't  you  know  this  island  is  haunted 
by  the  man  who  committed  suicide  here?" 

"A  suicide,  Dave?"  cried  the  school  story-teller, 
forgetting  all  about  the  tale  he  had  been  on  the 
point  of  relating. 

"Sure.  That  man  tried  to  kill  his  wife  and 
seven  children,  and  then  hung  himself  from  a  tree 
not  far  from  here.  They  say  that  twice  a  month 
his  ghost  appears." 

"It's  about  time  for  the  ghost  now,"  added 
Roger,  scenting  fun.  "Listen !  Didn't  I  hear  a 
groan !" 

"Must  have  been  that,"  went  on  Dave.  "There 
it  is  again  1" 

"I — I  didn't  hear  anything,"  faltered  Shadow. 
He  was  not  an  excessively  brave  lad  at  the  best. 

"It's  getting  pretty  dark,"  continued  Dave. 
"That  is  when  the  ghost  shows  itself,  so  I've  been 

informed.  If  we Look  I  look!"  he  yelled, 

pointing  over  Shadow's  left  shoulder. 

The  story-teller  gave  a  leap  forward  and  glanced 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  ROBBER  ISLAND     8g 

around  hastily.  Dave  was  pointing  to  a  clump  of 
bushes. 

"Wha — what  did  you  see?"  asked  Shadow,  in  a 
shaking  voice. 

"I  don't  know.    It  was  tall  and  white " 

"The  ghost!  The  ghost!"  yelled  Roger.  "It's 
coming  for  us !"  And  he  began  to  run  back. 

Shadow  gave  a  scream  of  terror  and  started  to 
run  also.  As  if  by  accident,  Dave  allowed  his  foot 
to  trip  the  boy  up,  and  down  went  the  story-teller 
of  the  Hall  on  his  face  in  the  snow. 

"Hi !  hi !  Don't  leave  me  behind!"  he  bawled, 
as  the  others  all  ran.  "Don't  leave  me!"  and  he 
scrambled  up  and  tore  along  through  the  brush- 
wood as  if  possessed.  The  others  speedily  halted 
and  set  up  a  shout  of  laughter,  at  which  Shadow 
looked  very  sheepish. 

"I — I  only  ran  for  the  fun  of  the  thing,"  he  ex- 
plained, lamely.  "I  knew  all  along  there  wasn't  a 
ghost." 

"Shadow  shall  lead  the  way,"  said  Dave.  "Go 
ahead,  old  fellow." 

"I — er — I  don't  know  the  path,"  was  the  quick 
excuse.  "You  go  on."  And  Shadow  dropped  be- 
hind once  more  and  stuck  there  during  the  remain- 
der of  the  trip. 

The  cabin  was  built  of  rough  logs.  It  had  been 
put  up  by  some  hunters  years  before,  but  the 
sportsmen,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  game,  did  not 


90    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

come  to  the  place  any  more.  It  was  in  a  dilapi- 
dated condition,  and  the  snow  had  driven  in 
through  the  broken-out  window  and  open  doorway. 

"Not  a  very  cheerful  place,"  observed  Dave, 
as  he  led  the  way  inside.  "Let  us  light  a  torch, 
so  we  can  see  things." 

They  procured  several  pine  sticks  and  soon  had 
them  lit,  and  holding  these  aloft  surveyed  the 
scene.  All  was  very  much  as  it  had  been  during 
their  former  visit. 

"Nothing  new,  so  far  as  I  can  see,"  was  Roger's 
comment. 

"Here  are  some  footprints  in  the  snow,"  came 
from  Messmer.  "We  didn't  make  those." 

"Those  are  the  footprints  of  some  animal!" 
cried  Dave.  "Maybe  there's  a  bear  here  after  all." 
He  smiled  as  he  made  the  remark. 

"Looks  to  me  more  like  the  tracks  of  a  horse," 
answered  Henshaw.  "Maybe  somebody  came 
over  here  from  the  shore  on  horseback." 

"You  want  to  be  careful — it  may  be  a  wild  beast 
after  all,"  observed  Shadow,  nervously. 

At  that  moment  came  a  queer  sound  from  out- 
side of  the  cabin,  which  caused  all  of  the  lads  to 
start.  Messmer,  who  had  the  best  of  the  torches, 
dropped  it,  leaving  them  almost  in  darkness. 

"Why,  I  declare "  began  Dave,  when  a 

form  darkened  the  doorway  and  the  next  instant  a 
big,  bony  mule  entered  the  old  cabin  and  stood 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  ROBBER  ISLAND     91 

among  them.  Some  of  the  boys  were  frightened 
and  started  to  retreat. 

"It's  only  a  mule!"  cried  Dave.  "I  don't  think 
he'll  hurt  anybody.  But  how  in  the  world  did  he 
get  here?" 

"His  halter  is  broken,"  declared  Roger.  "He 
must  have  run  away  from  somewhere." 

"I  know  that  mule,"  declared  Shadow.  "He 
belongs  to  Mike  Marcy." 

The  man  he  mentioned  was  a  farmer,  living  in 
the  Oakdale  district.  Marcy  was  a  close-fisted 
fellow  who  never  wanted  the  schoolboys  to  have 
any  of  his  fruit,  and  Dave,  through  no  fault  of  his 
own,  had  once  had  considerable  trouble  with  the 
fellow. 

"I  think  Shadow  is  right,"  said  Dave.  "I  saw 
that  mule  around  Marcy's  place.  If  he  ran  away 
we  ought  to  take  him  back  to  where  he  belongs." 

"Perhaps  you'd  have  some  fun  trying  to  ride 
him,"  suggested  Henshaw. 

"Oh,  pshaw !  anybody  could  ride  that  mule," 
declared  Roger.  "Why,  riding  a  mule  is  as 
easy  as  riding  a  horse.  All  mules  don't  love  to 
kick." 

"Roger  shall  have  the  honor  of  riding  him 
home,"  said  Messmer.  "Think  of  what  a  reward 
Mike  Marcy  will  give  you,"  he  added,  with  a 
grin. 

"Catch   Marcy  giving  a  reward,"  said  Dave, 


92     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

laughing.  "Why,  he  wouldn't  fork  over  so  much 
as  a  sour  apple." 

"He'd  want  to  charge  Roger  for  the  ride." 

"We  can  take  the  mule  to  the  Hall  and  let 
Marcy  come  and  get  him,"  suggested  Messmer. 

In  a  spirit  of  mischief  Shadow  had  taken  his 
stick  and  rubbed  it  over  the  mule's  hind  legs. 
There  was  a  sudden  snort  and  up  came  the  beast's 
feet.  Bang!  crack!  bang!  they  sounded  on  the 
wall  of  the  dilapidated  cabin,  and  Shadow  leaped 
for  his  life. 

"Look  out,  he's  in  action !" 

"Clear  the  deck  for  his  muleship !" 

"He'll  have  the  cabin  down  next!"  called  out 
Dave.  "Take  care !" 

The  mule  continued  to  kick,  and,  standing  at 
his  head,  Dave  and  Roger  tried  in  vain  to  quiet 
him.  Then  of  a  sudden  came  a  crack  of  another 
kind  and  the  wall  of  the  rotted  cabin  fell  outward 
and  the  roof  began  to  sag. 

"Out  of  this,  all  hands!"  yelled  Dave,  and  let 
go  the  mule.  Roger  did  the  same,  and  both  ran 
out  through  the  open  doorway.  Shadow  was  al- 
ready outside,  and  Messmer  and  Henshaw  started 
to  follow.  Then  the  mule  turned,  knocking  Mess- 
mer down,  and  made  a  dash  for  liberty. 

The  cabin  swayed  and  groaned  and  began  to 
settle  rapidly.  Henshaw  leaped  out  in  the  nick 
of  time,  one  heavy  log  scraping  his  shoulder. 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  ROBBER  ISLAND     93 

Messmer  was  half  dazed  by  the  sudden  turn  of 
affairs,  and  before  he  could  arise  some  of  the  roof 
beams  began  to  settle  across  his  back. 

"Help  !  help  !"  he  wailed.  "The  roof  is  coming 
down  on  me  I" 

His  cry  of  assistance  struck  terror  to  the  hearts 
of  some  of  his  friends,  and  for  the  moment  they 
did  not  know  what  to  do.  Dave  was  the  only 
one  of  the  party  who  remained  cool,  and  he  rushed 
in  and  caught  hold  of  one  of  the  falling  timbers. 

"Prop  them  up  I"  he  called.  "Put  your  sticks 
under  them — anything!  If  we  don't,  Messmer 
may  be  crushed  to  death  1" 

Roger  came  forward  first  and  the  others  quickly 
followed,  the  mule  being,  for  the  time,  forgotten. 
They  took  their  heavy  sticks  and  set  them  up  under 
the  falling  timbers,  and  Henshaw  rolled  in  a  stone 
that  chanced  to  be  handy.  These  things  kept  the 
roof  from  coming  down  further,  but  poor  Messmer 
was  held  as  if  in  a  vise  and  could  not  be  extricated. 

"We've  got  to  pry  the  logs  up  a  little,"  said 
Dave.  "Here  is  a  log  to  work  with,"  and  he 
pointed  to  one  which  had  fallen  out  of  the  side 
wall. 

Only  one  torch  remained  lighted,  and  this  had 
to  be  swung  into  a  livelier  blaze,  so  that  they  could 
see.  Then  they  had  to  start  operations  with  care, 
for  fear  they  might  do  more  harm  than  good. 

"If  th — the  logs  co — come  down  on  me  they 


94    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

will  ki — kill  me!"  gasped  the  unfortunate  lad 
under  the  ruins. 

"We'll  not  let  them  come  down/'  answered 
Dave.  "Keep  perfectly  still  till  I  tell  you  to 
move." 

Messmer  did  as  directed,  and  Dave  and  the 
others  inserted  the  loose  log  under  one  end  of  the 
ruins.  A  flat  stone  was  used  for  the  fulcrum,  and 
they  bore  down  slowly  but  steadily  until  the  larger 
portion  of  the  ruins  was  raised  several  inches. 

"It's  coming!"  cried  Dave.  "Don't  go  too  fast. 
Can  you  loosen  yourself  now,  Messmer?" 

"A  little.    Go  a  bit  higher,"  was  the  reply. 

They  went  up  two  inches  more,  but  now  the  log 
began  to  crack,  for  the  strain  upon  it  was  tremen- 
dous. Messmer  heard  the  ominous  sound,  and,  with 
a  twist,  loosened  himself  and  began  to  crawl  forth. 
Dave  caught  him  by  the  arms. 

"Out  you  come,"  he  said,  and  gave  a  strong  pull. 
And  out  Messmer  did  come,  and  a  moment  later 
the  lever  snapped  in  two  and  the  ruins  settled  back 
into  their  former  position. 

"I — I  think  I've  had  a  narrow  escape,"  faltered 
the  lucky  youth,  when  he  could  speak.  "Much 
obliged  to  you,  Dave,  for  hauling  me  out." 

"Talk  about  a  mule  kicking!"  declared  Hen- 
shaw.  "He  brought  this  cabin  down  quick 
enough." 

"The  old  place  was  about  ready  to  fall  down," 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  ROBBER  ISLAND     95 

answered  the  senator's  son.  "I  think  I  could  have 
shoved  it  down  myself,  had  I  tried.  But  I  wonder 
what  made  the  mule  start  kicking  so  suddenly. 
He  acted  as  if  a  hornet  had  stung  him." 

"I  guess  I  was  to  blame,"  replied  Shadow, 
sheepishly.  "I  rubbed  him  in  the  rear  with  my 
stick.  He  didn't  appreciate  the  handling." 

"By  the  way,  where  is  his  muleship?"  cried 
Dave,  looking  around  in  the  semi-darkness. 

"Guess  he's  taken  time  by  the  forelock  and  run 
away,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 

They  looked  around,  but  could  see  nothing  of 
the  animal.  Some  marks  were  in  the  snow,  losing 
themselves  on  the  rocks,  and  that  was  all.  » 

"It's  time  to  get  back  to  the  Hall,"  observed 
Henshaw.  "I  am  not  going  to  lose  time  looking 
for  a  mule.  Come  on." 

"We  can  send  Mike  Marcy  word  that  his  mule 
is  on  the  island,"  suggested  Dave.  "That  wouldn't 
be  any  more  than  fair.  If  left  here  alone  the 
animal  may  starve  to  death." 

"Mules  don't  starve  so  easily,"  answered 
Shadow.  "I  am  not  going  to  look  for  him  any 
more,"  he  added. 

They  were  soon  on  their  way  back  to  the  shore 
where  they  had  left  the  Snowbird.  The  short  win- 
ter day  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  it  was  getting 
colder.  They  walked  briskly,  for  they  feared  the 
wind  would  be  against  them  on  the  return  to  Oak 


96    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Hall,  and  they  did  not  wish  to  be  late  for  supper, 
for  that,  at  the  very  least,  would  mean  a  lecture 
from  Job  Haskers. 

Henshaw  was  in  the  lead,  and  presently  he  came 
out  on  the  shore,  looked  around  in  dazed  fashion, 
and  uttered  a  cry  of  dismay.  And  not  without 
good  reason. 

The  ice-boat  had  disappeared. 


CHAPTER  XI 

A    HUNT   FOR  AN  ICE-BOAT 

"IT'S  gone!" 

"Where  in  the  world  could  it  have  gone  to  ?" 

"It  was  too  far  on  the  shore  to  be  blown  away." 

"Can  anybody  have  stolen  the  craft?" 

Such  were  some  of  the  words  uttered  as  the 
students  stood  on  the  shore  of  the  lonely  island, 
gazing  first  in  one  direction  and  then  in  another. 
Darkness  had  now  settled  down,  and  they  could 
see  but  little  at  a  distance. 

"I  really  believe  somebody  took  the  ice-boat," 
remarked  Dave.  "As  the  sail  was  down  I  don't 
see  how  she  could  budge  of  herself." 

"Exactly  my  way  of  thinking,"  answered  Roger. 
"And  I've  got  an  idea  who  took  the  craft,  too." 

"Those  Rockville  cadets?"  queried  Henshaw. 

"Yes." 

"They  wouldn't  be  above  such  a  piece  of  mis- 
chief," said  Messmer.  "They  feel  mighty  sore 
over  the  way  we  outsailed  them  that  time  we 
raced." 

"They'll  be  likely  to  sail  the  boat  to  our  dock 

97 


98     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

and  leave  her  there,"  said  Shadow.  "Puts  me  in 
mind  of  a  story  I  once  heard  about " 

"I  don't  want  to  listen  to  any  stories  just  now," 
grumbled  Henshaw.  "I  want  to  find  that  ice-boat. 
If  we  can't  find  her  we'll  have  to  walkliome." 

"What  a  pity  we  didn't  bring  our  skates!"  cried 
Dave.  "The  wind  is  very  light,  and  if  we  had 
them  we  might  catch  up  with  whoever  took  the 
craft.  I  am  by  no  means  certain  the  Rockville 
cadets  are  guilty.  When  we  met  them  they  were 
going  home,  and  they  didn't  know  we  were  coming 
here." 

"Nobody  knew  that,"  said  Messmer. 

"Who  was  the  last  person  we  met  on  the  river 
before  landing?"  questioned  the  senator's  son. 

All  of  the  boys  thought  for  a  minute. 

"I  saw  Link  Merwell,"  said  Shadow. 

"Yes,  and  Nat  Poole  was  with  him,"  answered 
Henshaw.  "Merwell  has  become  quite  a  crony 
of  Nat  Poole's  since  Gus  Plum  dropped  out." 

Link  Merwell  was  a  new  student,  who  had 
come  to  Oak  Hall  from  another  boarding  school 
some  miles  away.  He  was  a  tall,  slim  fellow  with 
a  tremendously  good  opinion  of  himself,  and 
showed  a  disposition  to  "lord  it  over  everybody," 
as  Sam  Day  had  expressed  it.  He  was  something 
of  a  dude,  and  it  was  their  mutual  regard  for 
dress  that  caused  him  and  Nat  Poole  to  become 
intimate. 


A  HUNT  FOR  AN  ICE-BOAT  99 

"Then  I  believe  Poole  and  Merwell  are  the 
guilty  parties,"  declared  Dave.  "They  must  have 
seen  us  land,  and  Poole,  I  know,  is  itching  to  pay 
us  back  for  the  way  we  have  cut  him." 

"All  of  which  doesn't  bring  back  the  ice-boat," 
observed  Messmer.  "The  question  is,  What  are 
we  to  do?" 

"Hoof  it  back  to  Oak  Hall — there  is  nothing 
else,"  answered  the  senator's  son,  sadly. 

Hardly  had  Roger  spoken  when  Dave  heard 
a  peculiar  sound  on  the  rocks  behind  the  crowd. 
He  looked  back  and  saw  Mike  Marcy's  mule,  nib- 
bling at  some  bushes. 

"The  mule — I'm  going  to  catch  him!"  he  ejac- 
ulated, and  made  a  leap  for  the  animal.  Just  as 
the  mule  turned  he  caught  hold  of  the  halter. 

"Whoa  there!  Whoa,  you  rascal!"  he  cried, 
and  then,  watching  his  chance,  he  flung  himself 
across  the  mule's  back.  The  animal  pranced  around 
in  a  lively  fashion. 

"Look  out,  Dave,  he'll  throw  you!" 

"He'll  kick  you  to  death  if  he  gets  a  chance  1" 

"Remember,  he's  a  vicious  beast!" 

The  mule  continued  to  dance  about  and  kicked 
high  in  the  air,  throwing  Dave  well  forward. 
But  the  boy  who  had  been  brought  up  on  a  farm 
clung  on,  grasping  the  mule's  ears  to  steady  him- 
self. Then  of  a  sudden  the  mule  turned  and 
dashed  away  through  the  bushes. 


ioo    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"He's  running  away  with  Dave!" 

"Look  out  for  the  tree  branches  I" 

Dave  paid  no  attention  to  the  cries.  He  had 
all  he  could  do  to  keep  from  falling  under  the 
animal.  Away  went  boy  and  mule,  over  the  rough 
rocks  in  a  fashion  which  nearly  jounced  the  breath 
from  the  rider's  body.  Then,  just  as  they  came 
close  to  some  low-hanging  trees  where  Dave  felt 
certain  he  would  be  hurt,  the  mule  turned  again, 
leaped  for  the  shore,  and  sped  out  on  the  ice  of 
the  river. 

"So  that's  your  game !"  cried  Dave,  between  his 
set  teeth.  "All  right;  if  you  want  to  run  you  can 
carry  me  all  the  way  to  Oak  Hall !" 

Away  went  the  mule,  as  if  accustomed  to  run 
over  the  ice  all  his  life.  He  was  a  sure-footed 
creature  and  took  only  one  or  two  slides,  which 
amounted  to  nothing.  The  boys  on  the  shore  saw 
Dave  and  mule  disappear  in  the  darkness  and  set 
up  a  cry  of  wonder. 

"Hi !  come  back  here,  Dave !"  sang  out  Roger. 

"If  you  are  going  to  ride  to  the  Hall  take  us 
with  you !"  yelled  Shadow. 

"He  won't  3top  till  he's  tired  out,"  said  Hen- 
shaw.  "And  goodness  only  knows  where  he'll 
carry  Dave." 

"Trust  Dave  to  take  care  of  himself,"  answered 
the  senator's  son.  "I  never  saw  him  get  into  a 
hole  but  that  he  managed  to  get  out  again." 


The  mule  shied  to  one  side  and  sent    Dave  sprawling1  on 
the  ice.  — Page  101. 


A  HUNT  FOR  AN  ICE-BOAT          101 

"I  hope  the  mule  doesn't  land  him  in  some  crack 
in  the  ice,"  said  Messmer. 

On  and  on  through  the  gathering  darkness  sped 
the  mule,  with  Dave  clinging  to  his  back  with  a 
deathlike  grip.  The  animal  was  young  and  full 
of  go  and  seemed  thoroughly  to  enjoy  the  run. 

"Talk  about  mules  being  slow,"  panted  the  boy. 
"The  chap  who  thinks  that  ought  to  be  on  this 
steed.  Why,  he'd  win  on  a  race-track  sure  1" 

A  half-mile  was  quickly  covered,  and  then  the 
mule  neared  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  the  latter 
made  a  long  curve.  Here  there  was  a  fair-sized 
creek,  and  up  this  the  animal  dashed,  in  spite  of 
Dave's  efforts  to  stop  him  or  get  him  to  keep  to  the 
river  proper. 

"Whoa,  you  rascal !"  sang  out  the  youth  for  at 
least  the  fiftieth  time,  and  then  he  caught  sight 
of  a  white  sail  just  ahead  of  him.  The  next  mo- 
ment the  mule  bumped  into  the  edge  of  the  sail, 
shied  to  one  side,  and  sent  Dave  sprawling  on  the 
ice.  Then  the  animal  steadied  himself  and  made 
tracks  for  the  road  which  led  to  Mike  Marcy's 
farm.  Evidently  he  was  tired  of  roaming  around 
and  of  being  ridden,  and  was  now  going  home. 

Somewhat  dazed,  Dave  picked  himself  up  and 
gazed  at  the  ice-boat.  It  was  the  Snowbird,  and 
on  it  were  Nat  Poole  and  Link  Merwell. 

"Hullo,  if  it  isn't  Dave  Porter  I"  muttered 
Poole,  in  amazement. 


102    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Where  did  he  get  that  mule  ?"  questioned  Mer- 
well. 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  But  this  makes  a  mess 
of  things.  I  didn't  want  that  crowd  to  know  we 
had  taken  the  ice-boat,"  went  on  the  dudish  youth. 

Dave  picked  up  the  cap  which  had  fallen  on 
the  ice  and  ran  up  to  the  ice-boat.  Those  on  board 
had  run  into  the  creek  by  mistake  and  were  trying 
to  turn  the  Snowbird  around. 

"What  are  you  doing  with  that  craft?"  asked 
Dave. 

"That's  our  business,"  retorted  Nat  Poole. 

"I  think  it  is  my  business.  That  boat  belongs 
to  Messmer  and  Henshaw." 

"We  found  it,  and  we  are  going  to  have  a  sail 
back  to  Oak  Hall,"  said  Link  Merwell. 

"I  don't  think  so,"  answered  Dave,  decidedly, 

"What's  that?"  cried  Merwell,  sharply.  He 
was  a  fellow  used  to  having  his  own  way. 

"I  want  that  boat.  I  was  with  Messmer  and 
Henshaw,  and  we  left  the  craft  on  the  shore  of  an 
island.  It's  my  opinion  you  two  chaps  ran  off  with 
her." 

"See  here,  do  you  take  me  for  a  thief?"  cried 
Link  Merwell.  And  in  his  aggressive  fashion  he 
swaggered  up  to  Dave. 

"Not  that,  Merwell,  but  I  think  you  took  the 
ice-boat.  I  am  going  to  take  her  back,  so  I  can 
get  our  crowd  aboard." 


A  HUNT  FOR  AN  ICE-BOAT          103 

"And  what  do  you  expect  me  to  do  ?"  asked  Nat 
Poole. 

"You  can  skate  back  to  the  Hall." 

"I  lost  one  of  my  skates." 

"Then  let  Merwell  tow  you  on  one  foot." 

"Oh,  you  needn't  boss  us  around,  Porter," 
growled  Link  Merwell.  "I'm  not  used  to  it,  and 
I  won't  stand  for  it.  Poole  and  I  are  going  to 
the  Hall  on  the  ice-boat,  and  that  is  all  there  is 
about  it." 

He  drew  himself  up  to  his  full  height — he  was 
four  inches  taller  than  Dave — and  glared  down 
defiantly.  This  gave  Nat  Poole  a  little  courage, 
and  he  ranged  beside  Merwell,  and  both  doubled 
up  their  fists. 

They  fancied  they  could  make  Dave  back  down, 
but  they  were  mistaken.  The  lad  who  had  been 
brought  up  on  a  farm  faced  them  fearlessly. 

"There  is  no  use  of  fighting  about  it,"  he  said, 
as  calmly  as  he  could.  "You  have  no  right  to  this 
ice-boat,  and  you  know  it.  If  you  don't  give  it 
up  perhaps  I'll  report  you." 

"Oh,  you're  a  squealer,  are  you?"  sneered  Link 
Merwell.  "It's  about  what  I  would  expect  from 
a  boy  brought  up  in  a  poorhouse." 

At  this  uncalled-for  and  cutting  remark  Dave's 
face  flamed.  He  took  one  step  forward  and  caught 
the  tall  youth  by  the  arm,  in  a  grip  that  seemed  to 
be  of  steel  and  made  Merwell  wince. 


104 

"Are  you  going  to  bring  that  up?"  he  asked,  in 
a  low  voice.  "I  should  have  thought  your  friend 
Poole  would  have  cautioned  you  that  it  wasn't 
healthy  to  do  so." 

"Let  go  of  my  arm,  Porter,"  and  Merwell  tried 
to  pull  himself  free,  but  in  vain.  Dave's  eyes 
were  blazing  like  two  stars  and  seemed  to  look 
the  tall  youth  through  and  through. 

"I  am  not  letting  go  just  yet,  Merwell.  I  want 
you  to  answer  my  question." 

"If  you  don't  let  go  I'll  knock  you  downl" 
cried  Link  Merwell,  in  a  rage. 

"If  you  do,  you'll  get  well  punished  for  it.  I 
allow  nobody  to  talk  to  me  as  you  have  done." 

"Want  to  fight?" 

"No;  but  I  can  defend  myself — I  guess  Nat 
Poole  knows  that." 

"Don't  soil  your  hands  on  him,  Link,"  said 
Poole.  Even  though  they  were  two  to  one,  he 
knew  Dave's  power  and  was  afraid  of  him. 

"He  can't  come  it  over  me,"  answered  Merwell. 
"Let  go !"  and  then  he  hauled  off  and  tried  to  hit 
Dave  in  the  face. 

The  boy  from  the  country  was  on  guard,  and 
ducked  with  a  quickness  that  surprised  his  antag- 
onist. Then  he  gave  Merwell's  arm  a  twist  that 
sent  the  tall  youth  sprawling  on  the  ice. 

The  new  pupil  was  amazed,  and  it  took  him 
several  seconds  to  recover  himself.  He  had  not 


A  HUNT  FOR  AN  ICE-BOAT          105 

dreamed  that  Dave  was  so  powerful,  yet  he  threw 
prudence  to  the  winds  and  rushed  in,  trying  again 
to  reach  Dave's  face  with  his  fist.  But  Dave 
skipped  to  one  side,  put  out  his  foot,  and  again 
Merwell  went  down,  on  his  hands  and  knees. 

'Til  fix  you !"  he  roared,  scrambling  up,  his  face 
red  with  rage.  "I'll  show  you  what  I  can  do! 
How  do  you  like  that,  you  poorhouse  rat !" 

This  time  he  hit  Dave  in  the  breast.  The  blow 
was  a  heavy  one,  but  it  did  not  hurt  nearly  as 
much  as  did  the  words  which  accompanied  it. 
They  made  Dave  shiver  as  if  with  ague,  and,  all 
in  a  blaze  he  could  not  curb,  he  sprang  towards 
Link  Merwell.  Out  shot  first  one  fist  and  then 
the  other,  the  blows  landing  on  the  eye  and  chin 
of  the  tall  youth.  They  made  him  stagger  back 
against  the  ice-boat.  Then  came  a  third  blow,  and 
Merwell  gave  a  gasp,  swayed  from  side  to  side, 
and  would  have  fallen  had  not  Nat  Poole  caught 
him  as  he  was  going  down. 

"Stop,  Porter;  don't  hit  him  again  1" 

"Merwell,  do  you  take  back  what  you  just 
said?"  demanded  Dave,  paying  no  attention  to 
Nat  Poole's  remark. 

There  was  an  instant  of  silence.  Link  Merwell 
wanted  to  answer,  but  was  too  dazed  to  do  so. 
Slowly  and  painfully  he  stood  erect.  His  head 
was  in  a  whirl  and  one  eye  was  rather  rapidly 
closing. 


106    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Merwell,  are  you  going  to  take  back  what  you 
said?"  demanded  Dave,  again.  And  he  held  his 
fist  ready  to  strike  another  blow. 

"Ye — yes,"  stuttered  Link  Merwell.  "Do — 
don't  hit  me  again !"  And  then  he  collapsed  in  a 
heap  at  Dave's  feet. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE   MEETING  OF  THE   GEE   EYES 

WHEN  Link  Merwell  went  down  again  Dave 
looked  at  Nat  Poole,  thinking  that  lad  might  pos- 
sibly attack  him.  But  the  dudish  fellow  was  too 
scared  to  do  anything  but  back  away  to  a  safe  dis- 
tance. 

"Don — don't  you  dare  to  hit  me,  Porter!"  he 
cried,  in  a  trembling  voice.  "Don't  you  dare !  If 
you  do  I'll  tell  Doctor  Clay!" 

"If  you  behave  yourself  I'll  not  lay  my  fingers 
on  you,  Nat  Poole,"  was  the  reply.  "Merwell 
brought  this  on  himself — you  know  that  as  well 
as  I  do." 

"He's  pretty  badly  hurt,  I  fear." 

"Oh,  he'll  come  around  all  right,"  answered 
Dave.  "You  had  better  see  to  it  that  he  gets  to  the 
Hall  safely." 

"Are  you  going  to  leave  me?" 

"Yes,  I  want  to  find  Henshaw  and  the  others." 

Nat  Poole  wanted  to  argue,  but  he  did  not 
dare.  Dave  waited  until  Link  Merwell  sat  up  and 
opened  his  eyes.  Then  he  leaped  on  the  ice-boat 
and  flung  off  the  three  skates  he  found  there. 

107 


io8    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Going  away?"  mumbled  Merwell,  when  he 
could  speak. 

"Yes,  and  after  this,  Link  Merwell,  see  that 
you  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your  head,"  answered 
Dave,  and  then  he  trimmed  the  sail  of  the  ice- 
boat, shoved  the  craft  around,  and  started  for  the 
river. 

Dave  was  a  good  deal  "worked  up,"  but  he  had 
not  deemed  it  wise  to  let  his  enemies  see  it.  To  be 
called  a  "poorhouse  rat"  had  stung  him  to  the 
quick,  and  once  again  when  touched  on  that  subject 
he  had  found  his  temper  as  ungovernable  as  ever. 

"It's  no  use,  I  can't  stand  it,"  he  told  himself. 
"If  they  want  me  to  let  them  alone  they  have  got 
to  cut  that  out." 

It  was  now  so  dark  that  but  little  could  be  seen 
on  the  broad  river.  Dave  turned  the  craft  towards 
Robber  Island  and  made  a  long  tack.  He  was 
just  coming  around  on  the  other  tack  when  there 
came  a  shout  out  of  the  darkness. 

"Don't  run  us  down  I     Why,  it's  Dave!" 

"Right  you  are,"  was  the  reply.  Then  he  saw 
Roger  and  the  others,  who  had  started  to  walk  to 
Oak  Hall.  They  were  soon  beside  the  Snow- 
bird, and  the  craft  was  headed  for  the  school. 

"So  Poole  and  Merwell  had  her,"  observed 
Messmer,  on  the  way.  "Did  you  have  any  trouble 
making  them  give  her  up?" 

"Just  a  little,"  answered  Dave,  modestly. 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  GEE  EYES     109 

"Tell  us  about  it,  Dave!"  cried  the  senator's 
son.  "Somebody  told  me  Merwell  was  of  the 
scrappy  kind." 

"I  really  don't  like  to  talk  about  it,"  said  Dave, 
his  face  clouding.  "I  had  some  words  with  Mer- 
well and  I  knocked  him  down.  Then  he  and  Poole 
were  willing  enough  to  let  me  take  the  ice-boat." 

"You  knocked  Merwell  down !"  exclaimed  Hen- 
shaw.  "He's  a  big  fellow." 

"Dave  isn't  afraid  of  anybody,"  said  Roger,  in 
a  tone  of  pride. 

In  the  end  Dave  was  compelled  to  tell  his  story, 
to  which  the  others  listened  with  deep  interest. 
They  understood  the  boy  from  the  country  per- 
fectly, and  said  the  treatment  received  had  served 
Link  Merwell  right. 

When  they  reached  Oak  Hall  they  were  nearly 
an  hour  late.  They  expected  Job  Haskers  would 
lecture  them  and  give  them  extra  lessons  to  do, 
but  fortunately  they  found  Andrew  Dale,  the  head 
teacher,  in  charge.  He  listened  to  their  explana- 
tions with  a  smile. 

"After  this  you  mustn't  go  so  far,  or  else  start 
earlier,"  said  the  instructor,  and  let  them  go  in  to 
supper. 

"Gracious !  what  a  difference  between  Mr.  Dale 
and  old  Haskers,"  was  Dave's  comment. 

"I  wish  all  the  teachers  were  like  Mr.  Dale — - 
and  Doctor  Clay,"  returned  Roger. 


i  io    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

The  party  were  just  finishing  their  evening  meal 
when  Nat  Poole  and  Link  Merwell  slunk  in.  The 
tall  youth  had  one  eye  nearly  closed  by  the  blow 
Dave  had  delivered.  He  glared  savagely  at  Dave, 
but  said  nothing. 

"He'll  chew  you  up — if  he  gets  the  chance," 
whispered  Roger  to  Dave. 

"Then  I  won't  give  him  the  chance,"  answered 
the  other,  with  a  quiet  smile. 

The  story  soon  circulated  among  the  students 
that  Merwell  and  Dave  had  had  a  fight  and  the 
tall  boy  had  gotten  the  worse  of  it.  To  this  Dave 
said  nothing,  but  Merwell  explained  to  his  friends 
that  Porter  had  hit  him  foul,  taking  him  completely 
off  his  guard. 

"The  next  time  we  meet  you'll  see  him  go  down 
and  out,"  added  the  tall  boy.  "He  won't  be  in 
it  a  minute  after  I  once  get  at  him." 

Word  was  sent  to  Mike  Marcy  about  his  mule, 
and  the  farmer  sent  an  answer  back  that  the  mule 
was  now  at  home  again,  safe  and  sound.  The 
mean  fellow  did  not  add  one  word  of  thanks  for 
the  information  given  to  him. 

"That's  like  Marcy,"  said  Dave.  "If  he 
thanked  me  for  anything  I  think  I'd  drop  dead." 

"Some  men  hardly  know  how  to  be  civil,"  an- 
swered Phil. 

During  the  next  few  days  word  also  came  from 
Dodsworth  Sadler  that  he  was  on  the  trail  of 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  GEE  EYES     ut 

Blodgett  and  Volney  and  hoped  to  catch  them  be- 
fore many  days.  He  added  that  he  had  evidence 
to  convict  the  swindlers  if  he  could  only  lay  his 
hands  on  them. 

"That  lets  you  and  me  out,"  said  Dave  to  Gus 
Plum.  "I  don't  think  you'll  ever  hear  another 
word  from  the  two  rascals." 

"If  it  hadn't  been  for  you  I  should  have  paid 
them  that  money,"  said  the  former  bully,  grate- 
fully. "And  they  would  have  kept  me  in  their 
power  if  they  could." 

Dave  was  anxiously  awaiting  a  letter  from  his 
uncle,  and  when  it  came  he  could  scarcely  take  time 
to  tear  open  the  communication,  so  eager  was  he 
to  know  its  contents.  The  letter  was  very  brief 
and  simply  asked  the  boy  to  come  home  on  the 
following  Saturday,  and  added  that  if  he  really 
wanted  to  go  to  London  he  could  do  so.  Dave 
was  to  show  the  letter  to  Doctor  Clay,  in  order 
to  get  the  necessary  permission  to  leave  the 
Hall. 

"I  shall  be  sorry  to  have  you  go,  Master  Porter," 
said  the  principal  of  the  academy.  "But  I  can 
understand  how  you  feel  about  your  father  and 
sister,  and  it  will  perhaps  be  better  for  you  to  go 
in  search  of  them  than  to  sit  down  here  and  be  on 
pins  and  needles  over  it;"  and  Doctor  Clay  smiled 
kindly. 

"Then  you  are  really  going  to  London !"  cried 


ii2    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Phil,  when  he  heard  the  news.  "Wish  I  was  going, 
too!" 

"So  do  I,  Phil,"  answered  Dave.  "We'd  have 
as  good  a  time  as  we  did  on  your  father's  ship  in 
the  South  Seas." 

"I  am  going  to  write  to  my  folks  about  this  at 
once,"  said  Roger.  His  heart  was  set  on  going 
to  England  with  his  chum. 

As  soon  as  Dave's  friends  heard  that  he  was 
going  away  once  more,  several  began  to  plan  a 
celebration  for  him. 

"Let  us  hold  a  special  meeting  of  the  Gee  Eyes, 
for  Dave's  benefit,"  said  Sam  Day;  and  so  it  was 
voted. 

The  Gee  Eyes,  as  my  old  readers  know,  was  a 
secret  organization  that  had  existed  at  Oak  Hall 
for  a  long' time.  The  words  stood  for  the  two  let- 
ters G  and  I,  which  in  turn  stood  for  the  name  of 
the  club,  Guess  It.  The  club  was  organized 
largely  for  fun,  and  this  fun  consisted  mainly  in 
the  initiation  of  new  members. 

At  one  time  Gus  Plum  had  been  at  the  head  of 
a  rival  organization  called  the  Dare  Do  Anything 
Club,  but  this  had  been  broken  up  by  Doctor  Clay 
because  of  the  unduly  severe  initiation  of  a  small 
boy,  named  Frank  Bond,  who  had  almost  lost  his 
reason  thereby.  Now  Gus  had  applied  for  mem- 
bership in  the  Gee  Eyes  and  had  said  that  he  would 
stand  for  any  initiation  they  offered. 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  GEE  EYES     113 

"I  have  half  a  mind  to  take  Plum  up,"  said 
Phil  Lawrence,  who  was  the  Honorable  Muck-a- 
Muck,  otherwise  president,  of  the  club.  "He  de- 
serves to  be  put  through  a  strong  course  of  sprouts 
for  what  he  did  to  Frank  Bond." 

"All  right,  I  am  willing  for  one,"  said  Buster 
Beggs,  who  was  the  secretary,  under  the  high- 
sounding  title  of  Lord  of  the  Penwiper.  "But  we 
will  have  to  ask  the  others  first." 

A  canvass  was  made  and  it  was  decided  to  initi- 
ate Gus  Plum  on  Friday  night,  after  which  the 
club  was  to  celebrate  the  departure  of  Dave  in  as 
fitting  a  style  as  the  exchequer  of  the  organization 
permitted.  Plum  was  duly  notified,  and  said  he 
would  be  on  hand  as  required.  "And  you  can  do 
anything  short  of  killing  me,"  he  added,  with  a 
grin. 

"It  will  make  Plum  feel  better  if  he  suffers," 
said  Dave.  "He  hasn't  got  Frank  Bond  off  his 
mind  yet."  Which  statement  was  true.  Plum  and 
Bond  had  made  up,  and  the  former  bully  now  did 
all  in  his  power  to  aid  the  small,  timid  fellow  in 
his  studies  and  otherwise. 

The  club  met  in  an  old  boathouse  down  the 
river.  It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night  and  about 
twenty  members  were  present,  all  attired  in  their 
red  robes  and  black  hoods  with  yellow  tassels.  As 
before,  some  of  the  members  had  wooden  swords 
and  others  stuffed  clubs.  Around  the  boathouse 


ii4    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

were  hung  a  number  of  pumpkin  lanterns,  cut  out 
in  imitation  of  skulls. 

For  the  initiation  of  Gus  Plum  one  of  the  club 
members  had  composed  a  new  chant,  which  was 
sung  slowly  and  impressively  as  the  former  bully 
of  Oak  Hall  was  led  in  by  Buster  Beggs  and  Sam 
Day. 

"Hoopra!  hoopra!  Dilly  dall! 

Here  s  the  victim,  see  him  fall! 
Hoopra!  hoopra!  Dilly  dees! 

Down  upon  his  bended  knees! 
Hoopra!  hoopra!  Dilly  deet! 

Bind  his  hands  and  bind  his  feet! 
Hoopra!  hoopra!  Dilly  dive! 

Let  us  cut  him  up  alive! 

"Punch  him,  crunch  him,  smash  him  up! 
Let  him  drink  tne  poison  cup! 
Let  him  groan  and  let  him  rave 
As  we  put  him  in  his  grave!" 

As  this  strange  doggerel  was  sung  the  masked 
students  danced  fantastically  around  Gus  Plum, 
slapping  him  with  their  swords  and  clubs.  Then 
of  a  sudden  he  was  tripped  up,  bound  hands  and 
feet,  and  marched  out  of  the  boathouse.  Here  a 
bag  was  tied  over  his  head,  so  that  he  could  not 
see  a  thing,  although  the  bag  had  holes  in  the  rear, 
so  that  he  would  not  be  suffocated. 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  GEE  EYES     115 

"To  the  river  with  him  1"  came  the  loud  com- 
mand. "An  icy  bath  will  do  him  a  world  of 
good." 

Now  if  there  was  one  thing  Gus  Plum  hated,  it 
was  ice-cold  water  for  bathing  purposes,  and  the 
suggestion  of  such  a  bath,  in  the  open  air,  with  the 
thermometer  below  the  freezing  point,  caused  him 
to  shiver. 

"Now,  see  here "  he  began,  and  then  shut 

his  lips  tightly.  Come  what  might  he  resolved  to 
utter  no  complaint. 

"What  sayest  thou?"  demanded  a  voice  by  his 
side. 

"Wouldst  thou  beg  off  ?"  demanded  another. 

"No,  I'll  take  my  medicine,  no  matter  what  it 
is,"  answered  the  former  bully,  doggedly. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

AN   INTERRUPTED   INITIATION 

"HE'S  full  of  grit  this  time,"  whispered  Phil 
to  Dave. 

"Oh,  Plum  isn't  the  boy  he  used  to  be,  I  am  cer- 
tain of  that,"  was  the  low  answer. 

Before  long  the  students  reached  a  point  on  the 
river  front  where  there  was  a  heavy  clump  of 
bushes.  In  a  hollow  between  the  bushes  a  fire  had 
been  built,  and  on  the  bushes  had  been  hung  some 
horse  blankets,  to  keep  off  the  wind. 

As  the  members  of  the  Gee  Eyes  reached  the 
hollow  they  saw  two  boys  wrapped  up  in  overcoats 
stealing  away  into  the  woods  close  by. 

"Hello,  who  are  those  chaps?"  cried  Roger. 

"One  of  them  looked  like  Nat  Poole  to  me," 
answered  Dave. 

"Wonder  what  they  are  doing  here?" 

"Came  to  see  what  was  going  on,  I  suppose." 

"I  don't  like  fellows  like  Nat  Poole  to  be  hang- 
ing around,"  remarked  Buster  Beggs. 

The  fire  had  been  burning  low,  but  now  it  was 
1x6 


AN  INTERRUPTED  INITIATION        117 

stirred  up  and  more  dry  branches  were  piled  on 
top,  creating  a  roaring  blaze.  By  the  flickering 
glare  the  masked  figures  looked  decidedly  fantastic. 

Up  to  that  moment  the  club  members  had  been 
undecided  what  to  do  with  Gus  Plum.  Some  were 
in  favor  of  taking  off  his  shoes  and  socks  and  let- 
ting him  down  into  the  river  through  a  hole  in  the 
ice,  wetting  him  up  to  his  knees.  Others  wanted 
him  to  crawl  on  his  hands  and  knees  to  another 
spot  on  the  river,  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  Still 
others  wanted  to  make  a  snow  house  and  shut  him 
inside  for  awhile,  letting  him  breathe  through  a 
piece  of  gaspipe  which  had  been  brought  along. 
Others  wanted  him  to  make  a  ten  minutes'  speech 
on  "What  Mackerels  Have  Done  for  Astronomy," 
or  some  subject  equally  "deep." 

"Let  us  have  the  speech,  at  least  first,"  suggested 
Dave. 

"All  right,  give  us  the  subject,"  answered  Phil, 
after  a  consultation  with  the  other  officers. 

"All  right,  I  will,"  answered  Dave,  after  a 
moment's  thought.  "Better  take  the  bag  off  his 
head  first." 

This  was  quickly  removed,  and  Gus  Plum  was 
made  to  stand  up  on  a  rock  close  to  the  fire. 

"Wretch,  listen !"  came  from  one  of  the  masked 
figures.  "It  is  decreed  that  thou  must  speak  for 
ten  minutes  by  the  second-splitting  watch  on  a  sub- 
ject that  shall  be  given  to  thee.  Shouldst  thou  fail, 


ii8    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

it  will  be  a  whacking  with  staves  for  thine.  Dost 
thou  agree?" 

"Speak  on  what?" 

"Here  is  the  subject,"  said  Dave,  in  a  disguised 
voice  that  was  thin  and  piping:  'If  a  Pail  Lets 
Out  Water  When  it  Leaks,  Why  Doesn't  a  Boat 
Do  the  Same  Thing  ?' '  And  a  snicker  went  round 
at  this  question. 

"Thou  hast  heard  the  subject.  Art  prepared  to 
discourse?"  asked  one  of  the  Gee  Eyes. 

"Sure  thing,"  answered  Gus  Plum,  after  a  mo- 
ment of  thought.  He  struck  an  attitude.  "My 
subject  is  a  most  profound  one,  first  broached  by 
Cicero  to  Henry  Clay,  during  the  first  trip  of  the 
beloved  pair  to  Coney  Island." 

"Hurrah!  Hooroo!"  came  from  one  of  the 
club  members. 

"Cicero  had  been  speaking  to  just  such  a  crowd 
of  convicts  as  I  am  now  addressing — thieves,  mur- 
derers, and  those  who  had  failed  to  shovel  the  snow 
from  their  sidewalks  during  the  months  of  July 
and  August,"  continued  Gus  Plum. 

"Convicts  is  good,"  murmured  Roger. 

"The  boat  running  to  Coney  Island  had  slowed 
up  to  a  walk,  which  caused  Cicero  to  grow  impa- 
tient, as  he  wanted  a  ride  on  the  shoot-the-chutes. 
Henry  Clay,  along  with  Napoleon  and  a  Roman 
sausage-maker  named  Hannibal,  were  in  the  bow 
of  the  craft  trying  to  solve  the  fifteen  puzzle  by  the 


AN  INTERRUPTED  INITIATION        119 

aid  of  a  compass  and  a  book  on  etiquette.  Sud- 
denly a  great  commotion  arose  to  a  height  of  a 
mile  or  more.  The  boat  sank  to  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  turned  over  three  times,  and  came  to  the 
surface  again.  A  shriek  arose  from  one  of  the 
ladies,  Cleopatra's  waiting-maid:  'I  have  lost  my 
knitting  overboard.'  'Man  the  pumps!'  cried 
Cicero,  and  then  tied  his  sandals  around  his  neck 
for  a  life-preserver.  Henry  Clay  drew  a  Henry 
Clay  from  his  pocket  and  began  to  smoke  vigor- 
ously. Hannibal  said  he  would  turn  cannibal  if 
the  boat  went  down  again.  Cleopatra  said  she 
would  die  happy  if  only  they  would  start  up  the 
phonograph,  and  Homer  did  so,  with  that  beautiful 
ode  entitled,  'Why  Eat  Turkey  When  Corned 
Beef  Is  So  Cheap?'" 

"Where's  the  pail  that  leaked?"  came  from  the 
crowd. 

"Stick  to  the  subject." 

"Is  the  boat  leaking  yet?" 

"Be  not  afraid,"  answered  Gus  Plum,  solemnly. 
"By  the  chronometer  I  have  still  seven  minutes 
before  the  boat  and  pail  sink  out  of  sight  forever. 
However,  the  pail  was  there,  sitting,  like  a  hen,  on 
the  larboard  mast,  filled  with  gooseberries,  which 
Pocahontas  had  picked  at  dawn,  in  company  with 
General  Grant  and  King  Henry  the  Sixty-second. 
Looking  at  this  pail,  John  Paul  Jones  slapped  his 
sailor  thigh  and  asked,  'Why  is  a  gooseberry?'  a 


120    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

question  which  has  come  resounding  down  the 

ages Oh,  thunder!  Do  you  want  to  blow 

me  to  pieces !" 

Crack!  bang!  crack!  boom!  came  four  loud  re- 
ports, and  the  fire  was  scattered  in  all  directions. 
Bang!  came  another  report,  and  Dave  received 
some  burning  fagots  in  the  face.  Gus  Plum  was 
hurled  from  the  rock  upon  which  he  had  been 
standing.  Boom!  came  a  report  louder  than  any 
of  the  rest,  and  what  was  left  of  the  camp-fire 
flew  up  in  the  air  as  if  a  volcano  were  under  it. 

All  of  the  club  members  were  dumfounded,  for 
nobody  had  expected  anything  of  this  sort.  Half 
a  dozen  of  the  boys  had  gone  down  and  in  a 
twinkling  the  robes  Roger  and  Ben  wore  were  in 
flames.  The  fire  lay  in  all  directions,  and  now 
came  two  smaller  reports  and  Dave  saw  a  fair- 
sized  fire-cracker  fly  apart. 

"Somebody  put  fire-crackers  under  the  fire," 
he  cried.  "Big  ones  and  little  ones."  And  then, 
seeing  Ben  in  flames,  he  rushed  to  the  assistance  of 
his  chum. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  to  put  out  the  fire,  and 
before  Ben  was  out  of  danger  Dave  got  a  blister 
on  one  hand.  In  the  meantime  Gus  Plum  had 
leaped  towards  Roger. 

"Roll  over !"  he  cried,  and  tripped  the  senator's 
son  up.  Then  he  began  to  beat  the  flames  out  with 
his  hands  and  with  the  bag  that  had  been  over  his 


What  was  left  of  the  camp-fire  flew  up  in  the  air. 
Page  120. 


AN  INTERRUPTED  INITIATION       121 

head.  Roger  had  gotten  some  hot  ashes  in  his 
face,  and  he  was  confused  and  half  blinded 
thereby. 

The  excitement  lasted  nearly  five  minutes,  and 
when  it  was  over  the  boys  stood  there  with  their 
hoods  and  robes  off,  gazing  at  each  other  ner- 
vously. 

"Who  did  this?"  demanded  Phil. 

"That  was  too  much  of  a  good  thing,"  said 
Shadow.  "Why,  some  of  us  might  have  been 
burned  to  death." 

"Kind  of  rough  initiation,"  remarked  Gus  Plum, 
dryly.  "But  I  didn't  catch  it  as  much  as  Roger 
and  Ben." 

"That  wasn't  down  on  the  programme,"  re- 
turned Dave.  "At  least,  it  wasn't  so  far  as  I  am 
concerned." 

"I  didn't  know  of  it!"  cried  Buster  Beggs. 

"Nor  I !"  "Nor  I !"  came  from  one  after  an- 
other of  the  other  members  of  the  Gee  Eyes. 

"Who  started  the  fire?"  asked  Phil. 

"I  did,"  answered  Sam  Day.  "I  just  got  some 
wood  together  and  lit  it,  that's  all." 

"Was  there  anything  on  the  ground?" 

"Not  a  thing,  so  far  as  I  noticed." 

"Here  is  part  of  a  big  cannon  cracker,"  said 
Dave,  holding  up  the  still  burning  paper.  "That 
was  big  enough  to  blow  off  a  fellow's  hand  or 
foot." 


122    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Say,  don't  you  remember  those  fellows  we  saw 
running  away!"  exclaimed  Roger. 

"To  be  sure!"  was  the  quick  answer.  "Nat 
Poole  was  one." 

"Who  was  the  other?" 

"He  looked  like  Link  Merwell  to  me,"  said 
Buster  Beggs. 

"Then  we've  got  an  account  to  settle  with  Poole 
and  Merwell,"  said  Roger.  "Just  look  at  how 
my  hands  and  my  neck  are  blistered !" 

"And  my  hand,"  said  Ben.  "Oh,  how  it  smarts ! 
I'll  have  to  put  some  oil  and  flour  on  it." 

"Let  us  declare  Plum's  initiation  finished,"  said 
Phil.  "Then  we  can  hunt  up  those  fellows  who 
played  this  dirty  trick  on  us." 

Phil's  suggestion  was  at  once  adopted,  and  the 
club  members  scattered  through  the  woods,  to 
look  for  those  who  had  hidden  themselves.  In  a 
very  few  minutes  Sam  Day  set  up  a  shout : 

"Here  is  one  of  them !" 

"And  here  is  the  other!"  called  out  Gus  Plum 
and  Ben,  simultaneously. 

"You  let  go  of  me,  Sam  Day !"  came  in  the  voice 
of  Nat  Poole.  "I  didn't  do  anything!  Let  me 
go!" 

"You  come  along  with  me,  Nat  Poole,"  an- 
swered Sam,  sternly.  "Just  look  how  that  hand 
is  burnt!"  And  in  his  anger  Sam  gave  the  other 
boy  a  smart  box  on  the  ear. 


AN  INTERRUPTED  INITIATION        123 

"Oh!     Don't,  please  don't." 

"You'll  yell  worse  than  that  when  we  are 
through  with  you,"  answered  Sam. 

"You  bet  he  will,"  said  Buster  Beggs.  "I  got 
a  hot  cinder  in  my  right  eye." 

"Don't,  please  don't !"  shrieked  Nat  Poole.  He 
was  a  coward  at  heart,  and  the  attitude  of  those 
around  filled  him  with  sudden  terror.  "I  didn't  do 
it,  I  tell  you." 

"Then  who  did?"  demanded  Dave. 

"Oh,  I— I  can't  tell  you.    I— I " 

"Yes,  you  can  tell,"  said  Shadow,  and  gave 
Poole's  ear  a  twist.  The  story-teller  of  the  school 
had  gotten  some  hot  ashes  in  his  mouth,  which  had 
put  him  in  anything  but  a  gentle  humor. 

"It  was  Link  Merwell.  He  put  the  crackers 
under  the  fire  and  let  the  fuses  stick  up,"  said 
Poole. 

"You're  a  fine  sort  to  blab !"  sneered  Merwell. 
"Since  you're  willing  to  tell  so  much,  I'll  tell  some- 
thing too.  He  bought  the  fire-crackers." 

"Is  that  true,  Poole?"  questioned  Roger. 

"Ye — yes,  but  I — I  didn't  know " 

"He  knew  what  I  was  going  to  do  with  them," 
broke  in  Link  Merwell.  "It  was  only  a  joke." 

"So  is  that  a  joke,  Merwell,"  answered  Roger, 
and  hauling  off  he  boxed  the  tall  youth's  right  ear. 
"If  you  want  to  make  anything  out  of  it,  do  so. 
Look  at  my  hands  and  neck.  You  went  too  far." 


124    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Merwell's  face  blazed  and  he  looked  as  if  he 
wished  to  annihilate  the  senator's  son. 

"Humph!  I  suppose  you  think  you  can  do  as 
you  please,  with  your  own  crowd  around  you,"  he 
muttered.  "You  don't  know  how  to  take  a  joke." 

"I  can  take  a  joke  as  well  as  anybody,  but  not 
such  a  perilous  trick  as  that." 

"It's  on  a  par  with  the  joke  of  the  fellow  who 
put  gunpowder  in  a  poor  Irishman's  pipe,"  broke 
in  Shadow.  "It  put  the  Irishman's  eyes  out.  I 
don't  see  any  fun  in  that." 

"I  think  we  ought  to  give  them  both  a  good  lick- 
ing!" cried  a  boy  named  Jason,  and  without  more 
ado  he  took  his  wooden  sword  and  gave  Poole  a 
whack  across  the  back.  Then  he  turned  and 
whacked  Merwell. 

It  was  a  signal  for  a  general  use  of  the  wooden 
swords  and  stuffed  clubs,  and  in  a  moment  the  two 
unlucky  students  were  surrounded,  and  blows  fell 
thick  and  fast.  Poole  yelled  like  a  wild  Indian, 
but  Merwell  set  his  teeth  and  said  nothing,  only 
striking  back  with  his  fists  when  he  got  the  chance. 
Dave  took  no  part  in  the  onslaught,  nor  did  Ben 
and  Phil.  As  soon  as  he  saw  a  chance  Nat  Poole 
ran  for  his  life.  Link  Merwell  stood  his  ground 
a  little  longer,  then  he  too  retreated,  shaking  his 
fist  at  the  members  of  the  Gee  Eyes. 

"Just  wait!"  he  fairly  hissed.  "I'll  get  square 
for  this,  if  it  takes  me  a  lifetime !" 


CHAPTER   XIV 

GOOD-BYE   TO   OAK    HALL 

"I'LL  wager  Merwell  is  the  maddest  boy  Oak 
Hall  ever  saw !"  said  Shadow,  when  the  excite- 
ment had  subsided. 

"Poole  is  a  sneak,  and  no  mistake,"  said  Sam. 
"I  wonder  if  he'll  go  and  tell  old  Haskers  or  Doc- 
tor Clay?" 

"He  won't  dare — for  he  is  afraid  we  will  tell 
about  the  fire-crackers,"  answered  Dave.  "Yes, 
he  is  a  sneak." 

"I  don't  see,  now,  how  I  could  ever  make  a 
friend  of  him,"  declared  Gus  Plum.  "Now,  in 
one  way,  I  like  Merwell — he's  a  fighter  and  he 
doesn't  care  who  knows  it." 

"Yes,  but  he's  got  a  wicked  temper,"  observed 
Roger.  "He  reminds  me  of  Nick  Jasniff.  They 
would  make  a  team." 

"Where  did  he  come  from,  anyway?"  questioned 
Messmer. 

"From  some  ranch  out  West.  His  father  is  a 
big  cattle-owner.  He  is  used  to  life  in  the  open  air, 
and  one  of  the  fellows  says  he  can  ride  like  the 
wind." 

125 


126    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"We  must  watch  him,"  declared  Phil. 

"I  can't  do  that — since  I  am  going  away,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "I'll  have  to  leave  you  chaps  to 
fight  it  out." 

"Do  you  think  they'll  come  back  or  send  Has- 
kers?"  asked  Buster  Beggs. 

"It  might  be  wise  to  leave  this  spot,"  answered 
Phil.  "There  are  plenty  of  places  we  can  go  to." 

It  was  decided  to  move,  and  several  baskets 
which  had  been  stored  away  in  the  bushes  were 
brought  forth. 

"I've  got  an  idea !"  cried  Henshaw.  "Let  us 
go  to  that  old  barn  on  the  Baggot  place.  Nobody 
will  disturb  us  there." 

"I  want  to  fix  up  my  burns  first,"  said  Roger. 

"So  do  I,"  said  Ben.  "Come  on  to  the  Hall— 
we  can  join  the  crowd  later." 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  while  the  senator's  son 
and  Ben  went  off  in  one  direction  the  remaining 
members  of  the  Gee  Eyes  took  another,  which  led 
them  over  a  small  hill  and  through  an  old  apple 
orchard. 

The  Baggot  place  had  not  been  used  for  several 
years.  The  house  was  nailed  up,  but  the  big  barn 
stood  wide  open  and  had  often  been  the  resort  of 
tramps.  But  during  the  hunt  for  the  robber,  Pud 
Frodel,  and  his  tool,  all  the  tramps  had  been 
rounded  up  and  driven  away. 

Several  of  the  students  had  brought  their  pump- 


GOOD-BYE  TO  OAK  HALL  127 

kin  lanterns  with  them,  and  these  were  hung  up 
on  convenient  nails. 

"Say,  a  small  stove  wouldn't  go  bad,"  suggested 
Messmer.  "It's  mighty  cold  in  here." 

"Let  us  settle  down  in  some  hay,"  suggested 
Phil.  "That  will  keep  us  warm,  especially  if  we 
shut  the  doors  and  windows  tight." 

The  baskets  which  had  been  brought  along  were 
filled  with  good  things,  and  these  were  speedily 
passed  around.  The  boys  fell  to  eating  with  avid- 
ity, for  the  adventures  of  the  evening  had  made 
them  hungry.  Then  Dave  was  called  upon  for  a 
speech. 

"I  hardly  know  what  to  say,  fellow-students," 
he  began,  after  a  cheering  and  hand-clapping. 
"You  have  treated  me  royally  to-night,  and  I  do 
not  intend  to  forget  your  kindness.  I  am  sorry 
that  I  am  going  to  leave  you,  but  you  all  know 
what  is  taking  me  away " 

"We  do,  and  we  hope  you'll  find  your  folks,"  put 
in  Phil. 

"So  say  we  all  of  us !"  sang  out  Henshaw. 

"If  I  am  successful  in  my  search  perhaps  I'll 
return  to  Oak  Hall  before  a  great  while,"  contin- 
ued Dave.  "In  the  meantime  I  trust  you  all  have 
good  times,  and  that  you  may  have  no  more 
trouble  with  our  enemies.  More  than  this,  as  I 
expect  to  be  away  during  the  holidays,  I  wish  each 
one  a  Merry  Christmas  and  a  Happy  New  Year  1" 


128    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

As  Dave  concluded  there  was  a  round  of  ap- 
plause, and  the  club  members  drank  his  health  in 
lemon  soda  and  sarsaparilla.  Then  some  nuts  and 
raisins  were  passed  around,  and  all  prepared  to 
return  to  Oak  Hall. 

"We've  got  to  go  in  quietly,  or  else  there  may 
be  trouble,"  said  Phil.  "Remember,  we  don't 
know  what  Merwell  and  Poole  will  do." 

There  was  no  trouble,  however,  for  which  Dave 
was  thankful,  since  he  wished  to  leave  the  Hall 
with  a  clean  record.  As  soon  as  he  reached  his 
dormitory  he  went  to  bed,  and  so  did  the  other 
occupants  of  the  apartment.  And  thus  his  school- 
days, for  the  time  being,  came  to  an  end. 

He  was  up  bright  and  early  and  by  nine  o'clock 
was  ready  to  enter  the  sleigh  that  was  to  take  him 
to  Oakdale  station.  The  boys  gathered  around  to 
see  him  off. 

"I  wish  I  was  going  with  you,"  said  Phil.  "You 
must  write  me  regularly." 

"I'll  do  that,  Phil.  And  you  must  tell  me  all 
about  what  happens  here." 

"Remember,  Dave,  I'll  join  you  if  I  possibly 
can,"  said  Roger.  "Let  me  know  where  I  can  tele- 
graph or  telephone  you." 

"Sure,  Roger,  and  if  you  can  join  me  I'll  like  it 
first-rate." 

An  hour  lated  Dave  was  on  the  train  and  speed- 
ing towards  Crumville.  He  had  sent  word  ahead 


GOOD-BYE  TO  OAK  HALL  129 

when  he  would  arrive,  and  at  the  station  he  found 
the  Wadsworth  sleigh,  with  Caspar  Potts  and  Jessie 
Wadsworth  awaiting  him.  The  old  professor 
looked  hale  and  hearty,  although  his  form  was 
slightly  bent  and  his  hair  was  gray  and  white. 
Jessie,  round-cheeked  and  rosy,  was  the  picture  of 
health  and  beauty. 

"There  he  is !  There's  Dave !"  cried  the  miss, 
and  leaped  to  the  sidewalk  to  shake  hands. 

"Why,  how  tall  you  are  getting,  Jessie,"  said  the 
boy,  and  then  blushed,  for  the  handshake  she  gave 
him  was  a  very  cordial  one.  "How  do  you  do, 
Professor?"  And  he  shook  hands  with  the  man 
who  had  done  so  much  for  him  in  his  younger 
years. 

"I  am  very  well  indeed,  Dave,"  answered  Pro- 
fessor Potts.  "Will  you  sit  up  here  by  me,  or  with 
Miss  Jessie?" 

"Dave  must  come  in  with  me,"  said  Jessie, 
promptly. 

"Did  my  Uncle  Dunston  come?"  questioned  the 
boy,  looking  around,  for  he  had  fully  expected  to 
see  his  relative. 

"No,  he  has  a  touch  of  rheumatism  in  his  left 
knee,"  answered  Caspar  Potts. 

"That's  too  bad." 

Dave  assisted  Jessie  to  a  seat  and  then  got  in 
beside  her,  and  tucked  in  the  handsome  fur  robe. 
Off  went  the  team  at  a  spanking  gait,  past  the 


130    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

stores  of  the  town  and  then  in  the  direction  of  the 
Wadsworth  mansion.  Many  looked  at  Dave  as 
he  rode  by  and  thought  him  a  lucky  boy — and  he 
certainly  was  lucky,  and  thankful  for  it. 

The  mansion  reached,  Dave  was  warmly  greeted 
by  Mrs.  Wadsworth,  and,  later  on,  by  Mr.  Wads- 
worth,  who  had  been  to  his  large  jewelry  works 
on  business.  The  lad  found  his  Uncle  Dunston 
in  his  room,  in  an  easy-chair,  with  his  rheumatic 
leg  resting  on  a  low  stool. 

"It's  not  so  very  bad,  Dave,"  said  Dunston 
Porter,  after  their  greeting  was  over.  "I  hope  to 
be  around  again  before  long.  But  it  is  too  bad  it 
should  come  on  at  this  time,  when  I  had  hoped  to 
go  to  London  with  you." 

Dave  sat  down,  and  a  conversation  lasting  the 
best  part  of  an  hour  ensued.  The  boy  told  all 
he  knew  about  Nick  Jasniff,  and  showed  the 
letter  which  Gus  Plum  had  received.  Dunston 
Porter  said  he  had  sent  several  cablegrams  to 
London,  but  so  far  had  heard  nothing  of  satis- 
faction. 

"I  even  sent  a  money  order  to  this  Nick  Jasniff, 
thinking  he  might  try  to  get  it  cashed,  but  the 
order  has  not  been  called  for.  The  money  was 
cabled  to  London  and  then  put  in  a  letter  for  the 
General  Delivery  department.  Evidently  this  Jas- 
niff is  keeping  shady,  or  otherwise  he  has  left  the 
city  or  is  living  under  an  assumed  name." 


GOOD-BYE  TO  OAK  HALL  131 

"I  know  pretty  much  the  sort  of  a  chap  he  is," 
said  Dave.  "He  likes  to  go  to  the  theater,  and 
he  was  a  great  chap  to  bowl.  If  I  go  over  there 
I  am  going  to  hunt  up  the  bowling  places,  if  there 
are  any,  and  take  a  look  in  at  the  different  theaters. 
If  he  is  in  London  I  ought  to  run  across  him  some 
day.  And  I'll  try  finding  him  by  letter  and  by  a 
notice  in  the  newspapers,  too." 

Dave  was  a  very  busy  boy  for  the  next  few  days, 
perfecting  his  plans  to  visit  England.  Yet  he  man- 
aged to  spend  several  happy  hours  with  the  others 
and  especially  with  Jessie,  who  now  acted  more 
like  a  young  lady  than  a  girl.  Truth  to  tell,  Dave 
thought  a  great  deal  of  the  rich  manufacturer's 
daughter,  and  Jessie  seemed  always  to  want  him 
around,  that  they  might  sing  together,  or  play 
games,  or  go  out  for  a  sleigh-ride. 

"You  mustn't  forget  us  when  you  are  in  Lon- 
don," said  Jessie.  "I  want  you  to  send  me  some 
postal  cards — the  picture  kind." 

"I'll  send  you  one  every  day,"  replied  Dave. 
"The  very  nicest  I  can  find." 

"With  pictures  of  the  places  you  visit?" 

"Yes." 

"Then  you  must  tell  me  about  the  places  in  your 
letters." 

"Do  you  want  me  to  write?" 

"Of  course,  and  I'll  write  too,"  said  Jessie,  and 
gave  him  one  of  her  sunniest  smiles,  Dave  thought 


132    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

of  that  smile  long  afterwards — when  he  was  in 
London  and  in  the  far  northland — and  it  always 
brightened  him  in  spirits. 

On  the  day  before  his  departure  Dave  received 
a  telegram  from  Roger.  It  was  short  and  char- 
acteristic : 

"Hurrah!  Engage  stateroom  for  two.  What 
steamer?" 

"Good  for  Roger!"  cried  Dave,  as  he  showed 
the  message  to  his  uncle.  "He  has  permission  to 
go  with  me.  Now  I  won't  be  lonely." 

"I  am  glad  to  know  he  is  going  along,"  said 
Dunston  Porter.  "Not  but  that  I  know  you  can 
take  care  of  yourself,  Dave." 

Dave  at  once  sent  word  to  New  York,  to  the 
steamship  office,  and  by  night  the  matter  of  a 
stateroom  for  two  was  arranged.  Then  he  sent 
word  to  Roger  where  his  chum  could  meet  him. 

He  spent  a  quiet  evening  at  the  Wadsworth 
mansion.  Jessie  and  the  others  did  what  they  could 
to  cheer  him,  but  they  realized  what  was  on  his 
mind. 

"Oh,  Dave,  I  do  so  hope  you  will  find  your 
father  and  your  sister!"  said  Jessie,  on  bidding  him 
good-night.  "I  want  to  know  Laura;  I  know  I 
shall  love  her — for  your  sake!"  And  then  she 
ran  off,  Dave  watched  her  mount  the  stairs  and 


GOOD-BYE  TO  OAK  HALL  133 

disappear  in  her  room,  and  then  he  retired  to  his 
own  apartment,  more  thoughtful  than  ever,  yet 
with  a  warm  feeling  in  his  heart  that  was  peculiar 
to  itself,  for  it  only  came  when  he  saw  Jessie  or 
was  thinking  of  her. 


CHAPTER   XV 

DAVE   AND   ROGER   IN   LONDON 

"OFF  at  last!" 

"Yes,  Roger,  and  I  am  not  sorry  for  it." 

"And  just  to  think,  Dave,  inside  of  a  week  we'll 
be  in  England !  It  doesn't  seem  possible." 

The  two  boys  were  standing  on  the  deck  of  the 
great  steamer,  watching  the  last  sight  of  New 
York  City  as  it  faded  from  view.  Mr.  Wads- 
worth  and  Caspar  Potts  had  come  down  to  see  them 
off,  and  all  had  had  a  fine  meal  together  at  the  old 
Astor  House. 

It  was  a  clear,  cold  day,  and  the  boys  were  glad 
enough  to  button  their  overcoats  as  they  remained 
on  deck  watching  the  last  bit  of  land  disappear 
from  view.  Then  they  swept  by  the  Sandy  Hook 
lightship  and  out  into  the  broad  Atlantic,  rolling 
majestically  in  the  bright  sunlight. 

By  good  luck  Dave  had  managed  to  obtain  a 
first-class  stateroom,  and  the  chums  felt  very  com- 
fortable when  they  settled  down  in  the  apartment. 
But  they  did  not  know  a  soul  on  board,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  second  day  out  that  they  made  a  few 
acquaintances. 

134 


DAVE  AND  ROGER  IN  LONDON       135 

"I  think  we  are  going  to  have  a  fine  trip  over," 
said  the  senator's  son,  on  the  evening  of  the  sec- 
ond day.  "Don't  you  think  so,  Dave?" 

"I'll  tell  you  better  when  we  reach  the  other 
side,"  answered  the  boy  from  the  country,  with  a 
laugh.  "I  don't  know  much  about  the  Atlantic. 
When  we  were  traveling  on  the  Pacific  I  know  the 
weather  changed  very  quickly  sometimes." 

That  very  night  came  a  heavy  blow  and  by  morn- 
ing the  seas  were  running  high.  The  air  was 
piercing  cold,  and  everybody  was  glad  enough  to 
remain  in  the  cabins.  Dave,  returning  from  the 
ship's  library  with  a  volume  on  travels  in  England, 
found  Roger  had  gone  to  their  stateroom. 

"Seasick,  I'll  wager  a  new  hat,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, and  hurried  to  the  apartment.  Sure  enough, 
the  senator's  son  was  on  his  berth  and  as  pale  as 
death. 

"Can  I  do  anything?"  asked  Dave,  kindly. 

"Nothing,"  groaned  Roger.  "Only  make  the 
boat  stop  for  a  minute — just  one  minute,  Dave!" 

"I  would  if  I  could,  Roger.  But  maybe  you'll 
get  over  it  soon,"  he  added,  sympathetically. 

"Perhaps — after  my  insides  have  had  their 
merry-go-round  ride,"  was  the  mournful  reply. 

Fortunately  the  heavy  blow  did  not  last  long, 
and  by  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  the  Atlantic 
was  comparatively  calm.  Dave  had  not  been  sea- 
sick in  the  least,  and  he  was  glad  to  see  his  chum 


136    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

come  around  once  more.  Roger  greeted  him  with 
a  faint  smile. 

"I  was  going  to  fight  against  it,"  said  the  sen- 
ator's son.  "But  when  it  caught  me  I  had  to  give 
in  first  clip.  O  dear  1  I  don't  see  what  seasickness 
was  invented  for!"  And  he  said  this  so  seriously 
that  Dave  was  forced  to  laugh  outright. 

As  soon  as  it  had  been  decided  that  he  was  to 
go  to  London,  Dave  had  begun  to  study  up  about 
the  place,  so  that  he  might  not  be  "too  green" 
when  he  arrived  there.  He  had  two  guide-books, 
and  on  the  steamship  he  met  several  people  who 
were  only  too  willing  to  give  him  all  the  informa- 
tion at  their  command. 

"London  isn't  New  York,  my  boy,"  said  one 
old  gentleman  to  whom  he  spoke.  "It's  larger  and 
it's  different.  But  if  you're  used  to  big  cities  you'll 
soon  find  yourself  at  home  there." 

Soon  the  two  boys  were  watching  for  a  sight 
of  land,  and  when  it  came  they  learned  that  they 
were  in  the  English  Channel  and  nearing  the 
Isle  of  Wight.  Here  there  was  plenty  of  ship- 
ping, from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  they  passed 
several  other  big  liners,  bound  for  Boston,  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  and  Southern  ports. 

"This  is  certainly  the  age  of  travel,"  was  Dave's 
comment,  as  they  watched  the  boats  pass.  "Every- 
body seems  to  be  going  somewhere." 

By  the  time  they  reached  Southampton  there 


DAVE  AND  ROGER  IN  LONDON      137 

was  great  bustle  on  board.  Custom  House  regu- 
lations had  to  be  met,  after  which  Dave  and  Roger 
took  their  first  ride  in  an  English  railway  coach 
and  soon  reached  the  greatest  city  of  the  world. 
They  had  brought  with  them  only  their  largest 
dress-suit  cases,  and  these  they  carried. 

They  had  already  decided  to  go  to  a  small  but 
comfortable  hotel  called  the  Todham.  A  cabman 
was  handy,  who  had  their  dress-suit  cases  almost 
before  they  knew  it. 

"What's  the  fare  to  the  hotel?"  demanded 
Dave. 

The  Jehu  said  several  shillings,  but  when  Dave 
shook  his  head  the  fellow  cut  the  price  in  half  and 
they  sprang  in  and  were  off.  The  brief  ride  was 
an  interesting  one,  and  they  could  not  help  but 
contrast  the  sights  to  be  seen  with  those  of  New 
York  and  Chicago. 

"It's  certainly  different,"  said  Roger.  "But  I 
guess  we  can  make  ourselves  at  home." 

The  hotel  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Charing  Cross, 
and  the  two  boys  obtained  an  elegant  apartment 
looking  down  on  the  busy  street.  They  were  glad 
to  rest  over  Sunday,  only  going  out  in  the  morn- 
ing to  attend  services  at  one  of  the  great  churches. 

"Well,  Dave,  now  you  are  here,  how  are  you 
going  to  start  to  look  for  Nick  Jasniff  ?"  questioned 
Roger.  "It  seems  to  me  that  it  will  be  a  good 
deal  like  looking  for  a  needle  in  a  haystack." 


138    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"I  am  going  to  advertise  and  then  try  all  the 
leading  hotels,"  was  the  answer.  "I  have  a  list 
of  them  here.  If  you  want  to  help,  you  can  visit 
one  group  of  them  while  I  visit  another." 

The  senator's  son  was  willing,  and  they  started 
off  without  delay.  During  the  day  Dave  rode 
around  to  exactly  twenty-two  places,  but  at  each 
hostelry  was  met  with  the  reply  that  no  such  per- 
son as  Nicholas  Jasniff  had  registered  there. 

"One  day  wasted,"  he  sighed,  but  altered  his 
opinion  when  he  rejoined  his  chum. 

"Jasniff  was  at  the  Hotel  Silverin,"  said  Roger. 
"But  he  left  there  a  little  over  two  weeks  ago." 

"Did  he  leave  any  directions  for  forwarding 
mail?" 

"Yes,  here  is  the  address."  The  senator's  son 
drew  a  notebook  from  his  pocket.  "43,  Pulford 
Road,  Noxham." 

"Let  us  look  up  the  place,"  went  on  Dave, 
eagerly,  and  got  out  his  map  of  London  and  its 
suburbs.  It  was  in  the  northern  end  of  the  me- 
tropolis, and  they  found  a  railway  running  in  that 
direction. 

"We  can't  go  to-night  very  well,  but  we  can  try 
it  the  first  thing  in  the  morning,"  said  Dave;  and 
so  it  was  decided. 

On  arriving  in  the  vicinity  of  43,  Pulford  Road, 
the  two  youths  found  the  neighborhood  anything 
but  first-class.  The  houses  were  old  and  dirty- 


DAVE  AND  ROGER  IN  LONDON       139 

looking  and  had  about  them  a  general  air  of  neg- 
lect. 

"What  do  you  want?"  demanded  the  tall  and 
angular  woman  who  answered  their  summons  at 
the  door. 

"Good-morning,  madam,"  said  Dave,  politely. 
"I  am  looking  for  a  young  gentleman  named 
Nicholas  Jasniff.  I  believe  he  boards  here." 

"Oh,  so  that's  it,"  said  the  woman.  She  eyed 
Dave  and  Roger  in  a  suspicious  manner.  "Who 
told  you  he  was  boarding  here?" 

"We  heard  so  down  at  our  hotel." 

"He  isn't  here — he  went  away  last  week — 
owing  me  one  pound  six,"  was  the  spiteful 
answer.  "I  wish  I  had  my  hands  on  him. 
It's  Kate  Clever  would  teach  him  a  lesson,  the 
scamp!" 

"So  he  ran  away  owing  you  some  board  money?" 
said  Roger. 

"He  did  that." 

"And  you  haven't  any  idea  where  he  is?" 

"I  have  and  I  haven't.  Are  you  friends  of 
his?" 

"Not  exactly,  but  we  wish  very  much  to  find 
him." 

"I  am  not  the  one  to  do  him  a  favor — after  him 
treating  me  so  shabbily,"  said  the  woman,  spite- 
fully. 

"You'll  not  be  doing  him  a  favor,"  returned 


140    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Dave.  "To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  want  to  catch  him 
for  some  other  wrong  he's  been  doing." 

"Oh,  that's  it,  is  it?"  The  woman  became  more 
interested.  "You  are  from  the  States,  aren't  you?" 

"Yes." 

"He  was  from  the  States.  He  pretended  that 
he  wasn't,  but  I  knew  differently.  He  got  letters 
from  America — I  saw  one  of  them." 

"And  where  did  he  go,  if  you  please?"  asked 
Dave. 

The  tall  woman  drew  up  her  angular  shoulders 
and  pursed  up  her  thin  lips. 

"If  you'll  pay  that  board  money  I'll  help  you 
to  find  him." 

"Very  well,  if  we  find  him  I'll  pay  you  the  one 
pound  and  six  shillings,"  answered  Dave.  He  did 
not  wish  to  waste  time  that  might  be  valuable. 

"Come  in  the  parlor  and  I'll  tell  you  what  I 
know,"  said  Kate  Clever. 

They  entered  the  little  musty  and  dusty  par- 
lor, with  its  old  haircloth  furniture  and  its  cheap 
bric-a-brac.  The  woman  dusted  two  of  the  chairs 
with  her  apron  and  told  them  to  be  seated. 

"I  am  a  poor  widow,"  she  explained.  "I  have 
to  make  my  living  by  taking  boarders.  This  Jas- 
niff  paid  me  only  one  week's  board.  He  said  he 
expected  to  get  some  money,  but  while  I  was  wait- 
ing he  took  his  bag  and  box  and  slipped  away  one 
day  when  I  was  to  market." 


DAVE  AND  ROGER  IN  LONDON        141 

"I  thought  he  had  plenty  of  money,"  said 
Roger.  "He  ran  away  with  enough." 

"Ran  away  with  enough?    Was  he  a  thief?" 

"Yes." 

"O  dear !  Then  I  am  glad  he  is  out  of  my  house. 
Really!  we  might  all  have  been  murdered  in  our 
beds !"  And  the  woman  held  up  her  thin  hands  in 
horror. 

After  that  she  told  what  she  could  of  Nick 
Jasniff.  She  said  he  had  spent  a  good  part  of  his 
time,  both  day  and  night,  down  in  the  heart  of 
London,  visiting  the  theaters  and  other  places  of 
amusement.  Once  he  had  complained  of  being 
robbed  of  his  pocketbook  on  a  tram-car,  and  again 
he  had  lost  himself  in  Cheapside  and  fallen  in  with 
some  thugs  who  had  tried  to  carry  him  into  an 
alleyway.  In  the  fight  that  followed  he  had  had 
an  eye  blackened  and  the  sleeve  torn  from  his 
coat.  She  had  sewed  on  the  sleeve  again,  but  he 
had  paid  her  nothing  for  the  work. 

"He  spoke  once  of  visiting  an  old  friend  named 
Chesterfield,  who  lived  in  Siddingate,"  said  the 
woman.  "He  said  he  might  meet  his  father  there. 
Maybe  if  you  can  find  this  Chesterfield  you'll  find 
him." 

"We  can  try,  anyway,"  answered  Dave.  "Is 
that  all  you  can  tell  about  him  ?" 

"I  don't  know  of  much  else,  Mr. I  haven't 

learned  your  name  yet." 


I42    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"My  name  is  David  Porter.  This  is  my  friend 
Roger  Morr." 

"Porter?  Why,  I've  heard  that  name  some- 
where." The  woman  mused  for  a  moment. 
"Why,  yes,  Nicholas  Jasniff  had  a  friend  by  that 
name — a  gentleman  much  older  than  you." 

"A  friend  I"  gasped  Dave.  "Oh,  that  can't  be 
true,  Mrs.  Clever  1" 

"Well,  I  heard  him  say  something  about  a  man 
named  Porter.  They  had  met  somewhere — I 
think  in  London.  The  man  had  a  daughter  named 
Laura,  and  I  think  this  Jasniff  had  been  calling 
upon  her." 


CHAPTER    XVI 

SOME    IMPORTANT   INFORMATION 

DAVE  felt  like  groaning  when  he  heard  Mrs. 
Clever's  words.  Then  what  Jasniff  had  written  in 
the  letter  to  Gus  Plum  was  true — he  had  met  Mr. 
Porter  and  Laura.  Had  he  tried  to  set  himself 
up  as  a  friend?  It  was  more  than  likely. 

"And  father  and  Laura  don't  know  what  a 
rascal  he  is,"  Dave  murmured  to  his  chum.  "Oh, 
I  feel  as  if  I  could  wring  his  neck  I  For  all  I 
know,  he  has  been  making  himself  agreeable  to 
my  sister.  Isn't  it  enough  to  make  one's  blood 
boil?" 

"It  certainly  is,  Dave.  But  I  fancy  your  sister 
will  soon  be  able  to  size  up  such  a  fellow  as 
Jasniff." 

"Perhaps,  although  he  can  be  very  oily  when  he 
wants  to  be.  Oh,  if  only  I  knew  where  my  folks 
were !"  sighed  the  boy  from  the  country. 

Mrs.  Clever  could  tell  nothing  more  about  Nick 
Jasniff  or  about  the  Porters.  But  she  promised  to 
send  Dave  word  if  she  heard  anything,  and  seeing 
that  she  was  poor  Dave  paid  her  the  money  out  of 

143 


144    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

which  Jasniff  had  swindled  her,  about  six  dollars 
and  a  half.  Then  the  two  youths  took  their  de- 
parture, stating  they  might  call  again. 

"Let  me  know  beforehand,"  said  Mrs.  Clever, 
"and  I'll  treat  you  handsome-like."  She  offered 
them  some  cakes  and  ale,  but  they  politely  declined 
the  refreshments. 

From  the  woman  they  learned  the  easiest  way 
to  reach  Siddingate,  and  arrived  at  that  London 
suburb  shortly  after  the  dinner-hour.  Here  they 
procured  a  hearty  meal  at  the  leading  hotel  and 
from  a  directory  learned  that  six  Chesterfields  lived 
in  that  vicinity — one  an  ironmonger,  otherwise  a 
hardware  dealer;  another  a  draper,  that  is,  a  dry- 
goods  merchant;  and  a  third  a  stoker,  which  meant 
that  he  was  a  locomotive  fireman.  The  other  three 
were  not  put  down  as  in  business. 

"I  don't  think  we'll  try  to  hunt  up  the  stoker," 
said  Dave.  "Most  likely  he's  off  on  a  run.  We 
can  try  the  storekeepers  and  then  the  others." 

The  ironmonger,  a  burly,  red-faced  man,  had 
never  heard  of  Jasniff,  but  the  draper,  while  he  did 
not  know  anybody  of  that  name,  said  that  one  of 
the  other  Chesterfields,  whose  first  name  was  Philip, 
had  some  relatives  in  the  United  States,  including 
some  folks  who  were  now  traveling  either  in  Eng- 
land or  Scotland. 

"Thank  you;  we'll  hunt  him  up,"  said  Dave. 
"Where  does  he  live?" 


SOME  IMPORTANT  INFORMATION    145 

"Any  cabman  can  tell  you,"  was  the  answer. 
"Better  ride  out — it's  a  cold  walk." 

It  was  cold,  with  the  snow  covering  the  ground 
to  the  depth  of  two  inches  or  more.  The  air  was 
very  raw,  and  a  regular  London  fog  was  settling 
down  over  the  land. 

A  cabman  was  readily  found,  and  inside  of  a  few 
minutes  they  were  on  their  way  to  the  Philip 
Chesterfield  estate.  From  the  driver  they  learned 
that  this  Chesterfield  was  an  old  man,  rather 
peculiar  in  his  ways,  and  that  he  entertained  visitors 
but  seldom. 

"It  would  be  queer  for  Nick  Jasniff  to  visit  such 
a  man,"  remarked  Dave.  "But  I  don't  want  to  let 
any  chance  of  locating  him  slip  by." 

"Nick  may  be  glad  enough  to  get  a  roof 
over  his  head,  if  his  money  is  gone,"  answered 
Roger. 

The  cab  presently  turned  up  a  side  road  and  ap- 
proached the  stone  wall  of  a  fair-sized  estate,  the 
mansion  of  which  stood  back  in  a  patch  of  old 
trees.  As  they  entered  the  gateway  Dave  saw  a 
door  open  and  a  boy  came  out  on  a  veranda. 

"There  he  is!"  he  gasped.  "There  is  Nick 
now !" 

"You're  right!"  exclaimed  the  senator's  son. 
"This  is  luck,  and  no  mistake." 

As  the  cab  came  closer  Nick  Jasniff  gazed  at  it 
curiously,  to  see  whom  it  might  contain.  Not  to  be 


146    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

recognized  too  quickly,  Dave  kept  his  face  averted 
and  cautioned  his  chum  to  do  the  same. 

"Say !  I  say "  began  the  youth  who  had  run 

away,  when  Dave  leaped  out  and  confronted  him. 
"Whe — where  did  you  come  from  ?" 

"From  Oak  Hall,"  answered  Dave,  coolly. 
"I  fancy  you  didn't  expect  to  see  me  so  soon, 
Jasniff." 

"Humph!"  The  runaway  boy  did  not  know 

what  to  say.  "I — er Been  following  me 

up,  I  suppose?" 

"I  have." 

"You  didn't  expect  me,  did  you?"  put  in  Roger, 
with  a  grin. 

"I  didn't,"  growled  Nick  Jasniff.  "Any  more  ?" 
and  he  gazed  anxiously  into  the  cab,  half  expecting 
an  officer  of  the  law  to  put  in  an  appearance. 

"No  more  just  now,"  said  Dave,  with  peculiar 
emphasis. 

"What  do  you  want?"  Jasniff  was  gradually 
regaining  his  self-possession. 

"I  want  a  whole  lot  of  things,"  answered  Dave. 
"Do  you  want  to  do  your  talking  here  or  in  the 
house?"  And  he  glanced  at  the  cab  driver,  who 
was  staring  at  the  boys  with  his  mouth  open  in 
curiosity. 

"You  can  come  in,  if  you  wish,"  was  the  awk- 
ward answer;  and  Nick  Jasniff  led  the  way  into  the 
old  mansion,  which  was  semi-dark  and  not  more 


SOME  IMPORTANT  INFORMATION    147 

than  half  warmed.  "Do  you  know  who  lives 
here?"  he  continued. 

"Your  relative,  Philip  Chesterfield,"  answered 
Roger. 

"Humph  !  He's  a  great-uncle  of  mine  and  very 
old.  He  is  down  with  gout.  Come  into  the 
library.  We  needn't  disturb  him." 

They  filed  into  the  apartment  mentioned,  a  long, 
low  room,  the  walls  of  which  were  lined  with 
shelves  filled  with  musty  volumes.  Dave  kept  his 
eyes  on  Jasniff,  and  this  the  runaway  noticed. 

"Think  I'm  going  to  skip?"  he  queried,  sourly. 

"I'll  not  give  you  the  chance,"  was  the  ready 
answer. 

"You  think  you've  got  me  foul,  don't  you?" 

"Doesn't  it  look  like  it?" 

"You  can't  make  me  go  back  to  the  United 
States." 

"Perhaps  I  can." 

"My  folks  have  settled  up  that  Pud  Frodel 
affair  for  me — did  it  only  a  few  days  ago." 

"But  they  didn't  settle  up  with  Mrs.  Clever. 
She  was  swindled  out  of  some  board  money." 

"I — er — I  was  going  to  send  her  that  money  to- 
day." 

"Then  you  had  better  pay  me,  for  I  settled  the 
account,"  answered  Dave.  "But  let  us  drop  this 
talk  for  the  present,  Jasniff.  I  want  you  to  tell 
me  all  you  know  about  my  father  and  my  sister." 


148    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Humph!  I  haven't  got  to  tell  you  anything 
if  I  don't  want  to." 

"Yes,  you  have  got  to !"  cried  Dave.  A  danger- 
ous gleam  came  into  his  eyes.  "Out  with  it  at 
once.  Where  is  my  father?" 

"See  here,  Porter,  I  don't  propose  to  be  bullied. 
j » 

"You  answer  my  question,  Nick  Jasniff.  If 
you  don't  I'll  call  in  an  officer  at  once  and  have  you 
placed  under  arrest." 

"You  can't  do  it." 

"I  can  and  will.  If  I  can't  have  you  held  on 
one  charge  I'll  have  you  held  on  another.  I  want 
the  truth  from  you,  and  I  want  it  right  away." 

Dave  had  followed  Nick  Jasniff  to  a  window, 
and  faced  the  runaway  with  such  sternness  and 
determination  that  the  latter  cowed  before  him. 

"I — er — that  is,  your  father  went  north,  last 
week." 

"Where  to?" 

"He  said  he  was  going  to  Christiania,  Norway." 

"Christiania,  Norway?"  repeated  Dave.  He 
knew  there  was  such  a  place,  but  that  was  all. 
"What  for?" 

"Oh,  he  was  interested  in  an  expedition  that  was 
going  to  the  upper  interior — some  kind  of  a  scien- 
tific expedition,  I  think.  He  was  full  of  it — said 
they  hoped  to  make  all  kinds  of  discoveries." 

"Whose  expedition  was  it?" 


SOME  IMPORTANT  INFORMATION    149 

"It  was  gotten  up  by  two  men  named  Lapham 
and  Hausermann." 

"I  read  about  that  expedition!"  cried  Roger. 
"There  was  an  account  of  it  in  this  morning's 
Times.11 

"When  was  it  to  start?"  asked  Dave,  anxiously. 

"I  don't  know." 

"Do  you  know,  Jasniff?" 

"Not  exactly — some  time  this  week,  I  think." 

"Was  my  sister  Laura  going  with  my  father?" 
went  on  Dave,  anxiously. 

"No." 

"Where  is  she?" 

"I  give  it  up." 

"Jasniff,  tell  me  the  truth!"  And  again  Dave 
looked  at  the  runaway  sternly. 

"I  don't  know  where  she  is." 

"You  met  her." 

"Certainly — half  a  dozen  times." 

"How  did  you  get  acquainted  with  my  folks?" 

"Oh,  I  met  them  by  accident,  and  as  soon  as  I 
learned  who  they  were  I  introduced  myself  and 
said  I  knew  your  uncle  Dunston  Porter." 

"What  did  you  say  about  me?"  and  now  Dave 
was  more  anxious  than  ever. 

"I— er— I " 

"Come,  out  with  it,  and  tell  the  exact  truth, 
Jasniff,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you." 

"I — er — I  didn't  mention  you,"  stammered  the 


ISO    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

runaway.  He  could  scarcely  bring  himself  to 
speak  the  words. 

"You  didn't!" 

"What!  do  you  mean  to  say  you  met  Mr.  Porter 
and  his  daughter  and  didn't  let  them  know  that 
Dave  was  alive  and  that  he  was  looking  for 
them?"  demanded  Roger. 

"It  wasn't  my  business  to  tell  them,"  answered 
Jasniff,  doggedly. 

"Nick  Jasniff,  you  are  the  meanest  fellow  I  ever 
met  in  my  whole  life !"  burst  out  the  senator's  son. 
"For  two  pins  I'd  give  you  the  worst  thrashing 
you  ever  received.  Didn't  you  know  how  happy  it 
would  make  Mr.  Porter  and  his  daughter  to  know 
that  Dave  was  alive?" 

"I — er — that  wasn't  my  business.  Dave  was 
no  friend  of  mine — why  should  I  put  myself  out 
to  do  him  a  good  turn?  If  he  wants  to  find  his 
father  and  his  sister  let  him  do  it." 

"Did  you  become  well  acquainted  with  my 
sister?"  asked  Dave,  after  a  pause. 

"Fairly  well,  yes." 

"Did  you  take  her  out  anywhere?" 

"No — er — she  wouldn't  go  with  me." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  You  say  you  have  no 
idea  where  she  is  now?" 

"Not  exactly.  There  was  an  American  family 
named  Endicott  over  here.  They  came  from 
somewhere  out  West.  They  had  a  daughter  about 


SOME  IMPORTANT  INFORMATION    151 

Laura's  age,  and  the  two  were  chums.  I  think 
your  sister  sailed  with  the  Endicotts  for  the  States." 

"Did  they  write  to  my  uncle?" 

"I  don't  know,  but  I  think  not,  for  they  thought 
your  uncle  was  still  knocking  around  the  South  Sea 
Islands." 

"And  you  wouldn't  tell  them  a  word!"  cried 
Dave,  bitterly.  "Jasniff,  I  never  supposed  any 
fellow  could  be  so  cruel  and  hard-hearted." 

"Humph!  I  haven't  forgotten  what  I  had  to 
suffer,"  muttered  the  runaway. 

"You  brought  all  that  on  yourself.  You  had 
no  business  to  go  in  with  those  two  thieves.  If  you 
had  remained  honest  there  would  have  been  no  call 
for  you  to  run  away." 

"Oh,  don't  preach,  Dave  Porter." 

"What  Dave  says  is  true,  Jasniff,"  said  Roger. 
"If  you  have  suffered,  it  is  all  through  your  own 
dishonesty." 

"Who  says  a  relative  of  mine  is  dishonest!" 
came  a  loud,  harsh  voice  from  the  doorway  of  the 
library,  and  turning  quickly  Dave  and  Roger  found 
themselves  confronted  by  an  old  man,  white  with 
sudden  rage,  and  brandishing  a  heavy  cane  in  his 
hand. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ON  THE  NORTH  SEA 

BOTH  Dave  and  his  chum  were  startled  by  the 
sudden  interruption,  and  for  the  moment  did  not 
know  what  to  say.  They  looked  at  the  old  man 
and  then  at  Nick  Jasniff.  The  latter  turned  pale 
and  seemed  thoroughly  ill  at  ease. 

"Who  says  a  relative  of  mine  is  dishonest?"  re- 
peated the  old  man,  and  now  he  strode  up  to  Dave 
and  raised  the  cane  over  the  youth's  head. 

"If  you  refer  to  this  boy  as  your  relative,  I  say 
he  is  dishonest,"  answered  Dave,  stoutly. 

"And  so  do  I,"  added  the  senator's  son. 

"Nicholas  dishonest!  It  cannot  be!  There 
must  be  some  mistake." 

"I  am  sorry  for  you,  sir,  but  there  is  no  mis- 
take," returned  Dave. 

"Who  are  you,  sir?" 

"My  name  is  David  Porter.  I  come  from  the 
United  States.  Nicholas  and  myself  and  my 
friend  here  all  attended  the  same  boarding  school." 

"The  place  called  Oak  Hall?" 
152 


ON  THE  NORTH  SEA  153 

"Yes,  sir.  I  presume  you  are  Mr.  Philip 
Chesterfield." 

"I  am,  and  I  am  a  great-uncle  to  Nicholas." 
The  old  man  lowered  his  cane.  "What  do  you 
know  of  Nicholas?"  he  questioned,  curiously. 

"I  know  a  great  deal,  Mr.  Chesterfield.  If  you 
care  to  hear  the  story  I  will  tell  it  to  you." 

"Don't  you  listen  to  him,  Uncle  Phil,"  stormed 
Nick  Jasniff,  in  increasing  fear.  "He'll  tell  you 
nothing  but  a  bundle  of  lies." 

"I  can  prove  every  statement  I  make,"  answered 
Dave. 

"Dave  will  tell  you  nothing  but  the  truth," 
added  Roger. 

"Who  are  you,  young  man?" 

"My  name  is  Roger  Morr." 

"He  is  the  son  of  United  States  Senator  Morr," 
added  Dave. 

"Ah,  indeed!"  The  fact  that  Roger's  father 
occupied  a  high  political  position  seemed  to  have 
considerable  effect  on  Philip  Chesterfield. 

"They  are  a  couple  of  fakirs!"  cried  Nick  Jas- 
niff. He  knew  not  what  else  to  say. 

"Nicholas,  be  silent.  I  will  listen  to  their 
story,  and  then  you  can  have  your  say." 

"If  you  are  going  to  listen  to  them,  I'll  get  out," 
stormed  the  runaway,  and  edged  for  the  door. 

"No,  you  don't;  you'll  stay  here!"  exclaimed 
Dave,  and  blocked  the  way.  "I  came  all  the  way 


154    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

from  America  to  catch  you,  and  you  are  not  going 
until  I  get  through  with  you." 

A  brief  war  of  words  followed,  which  came  to 
an  end  when  the  old  gentleman  locked  the  door. 
Then  he  had  Dave  and  Roger  tell  their  tale  in  full, 
after  which  he  asked  a  number  of  questions.  Nick 
Jasniff  wanted  to  break  into  the  conversation  a 
number  of  times,  but  was  not  permitted  to 
do  so. 

"Nicholas,  if  this  is  true,  you  are  a  young 
scoundrel,  and  I  do  not  want  you  in  my  house  an- 
other day !"  exclaimed  Philip  Chesterfield.  "I 
shall  send  a  telegram  to  your  father  at  once,  asking 
him  to  come  on." 

"Where  is  Mr.  Jasniff  ?"  asked  Dave. 

"In  Italy — he  went  there  for  his  wife's  health." 

"Did  Nicholas  tell  you  anything  about  my 
folks?"  went  on  Dave. 

"Nothing  excepting  that  he  had  met  a  Mr. 
Porter  and  his  daughter,  and  that  the  father  had 
sailed  for  Norway  and  the  daughter  for  the 
States." 

"Then  that  news  must  be  true,"  said  Roger. 
"Dave,  the  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  go  to 
Christiania  at  once." 

"Exactly  my  way  of  thinking,  Roger." 

"And  about  Nick ?" 

"You  shan't  do  anything  to  me!"  roared  the 
runaway.  "I  won't  stand  for  it." 


ON  THE  NORTH  SEA  155 

"I  shall  notify  the  authorities  in  America  where 
you  are,"  answered  Dave.  "Then  they  can  do 
as  they  please  in  the  affair." 

A  little  later  Dave  and  Roger  left  the  mansion1, 
Philip  Chesterfield  bidding  them  a  formal  good- 
bye. Nick  Jasniff  was  sullen  and  looked  as  if  he 
wanted  to  kill  both  boys. 

"He'll  get  back  at  us  some  day,  if  he  can,"  ob- 
served the  senator's  son,  as  they  drove  back  to 
Siddingate. 

Arriving  at  the  town,  the  two  youths  took  the 
first  train  back  to  London  proper.  Here  they 
found  that  to  get  to  Christiania  they  would  have 
to  take  a  train  to  Hull  and  from  there  try  to  ob- 
tain passage  on  some  vessel  bound  for  the  Nor- 
wegian capital. 

"It's  only  a  four  hours'  ride  to  Hull,"  said  Dave, 
consulting  a  time-table.  "I  can  get  there  to-night, 
if  I  wish." 

"All  right,  let  us  take  the  first  train." 

"Do  you  want  to  go  to  Hull  to  see  me  off, 
Roger?" 

"I  am  not  going  to  see  you  off,  Dave." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  am  going  with  you — if  you'll  have  me." 

"To  Norway?" 

"Sure — anywhere." 

"But  what  will  your  folks  say?" 

"They  won't  mind — so  long  as  I  keep  out  of 


156    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

trouble.  I  told  father  we  might  go  further  than 
England." 

"I'll  be  pleased  to  have  you  along." 

They  settled  up  at  the  hotel,  and  quarter  of  an 
hour  later  were  at  the  station.  At  the  "booking 
office,"  as  it  is  called  in  England,  they  procured 
tickets  for  seats  in  a  first-class  coach,  and  soon  the 
train  came  along. 

"It  seems  funny  to  be  locked  up  in  such  a  coach 
as  this,"  remarked  Dave.  "I  must  say,  I  like  our 
style  of  open  car  best." 

They  were  soon  leaving  the  smoky  and  foggy 
city  of  London  behind  and  rushing  northward. 
Only  two  stops  were  made,  one  at  Leicester  and 
the  other  at  Sheffield. 

"Here  is  where  the  celebrated  Sheffield  cutlery 
comes  from,"  observed  Roger,  as  the  last  stop  was 
made.  "If  we  were  going  to  stop  over  I'd  buy  a 
pocket-knife  for  a  souvenir." 

"Remember,  we  must  get  some  picture  postals 
at  Hull,"  answered  Dave,  who  had  not  forgotten 
the  promise  made  to  Jessie.  He  had  already  sent 
her  over  a  dozen  cards. 

Hull  is  one  of  the  main  seaports  of  England, 
and  ship-building  and  sail-making  are  great  indus- 
tries there.  In  the  harbor  were  a  great  many 
steamers  and  sailing  vessels,  bound  for  ports  all 
over  the  world. 

Dave   was   in   a    fever  of   anxiety.       He   had 


ON  THE  NORTH  SEA  157 

been  unable  to  ascertain  when  the  expedition  in 
which  his  father  was  interested  was  to  start  north- 
ward from  Christiania,  and,  as  a  consequence,  he 
wanted  to  reach  the  Norwegian  capital  city  with 
the  least  possible  delay. 

"It  will  be  just  my  luck  to  arrive  there  after  the 
expedition  has  left,"  he  half  groaned  to  his  chum. 

"Let  us  hope  for  the  best,  Dave." 

As  late  as  it  was,  the  two  youths  skirmished 
around  and  finally  learned  that  a  steamer  would 
leave  Hull  for  Christiania  two  days  later.  On 
this  they  booked  passage,  and  then  Dave  hurried 
to  the  nearest  telegraph  office  and  sent  a  cablegram 
to  Christiania,  addressed  to  his  parent.  The  mes- 
sage ran  as  follows: 

"Wait  until  I  reach  you.     Your  long-lost  son, 

"DAVID  PORTER." 

"That  ought  to  hold  him,"  said  he  to  Roger. 
"Of  course  it  will — if  he  gets  it,  Dave." 
The  message  sent,  the  two  boys  looked  around 
for  a  hotel,  and  then  obtained  a  decidedly  late  sup- 
per.    When  they  retired,  Roger  slept  "like  a  top," 
as  he  expressed  it,  but  Dave  lay  awake  for  hours, 
wondering  what  the  future  held  in  store  for  him. 
Now  that  he  seemed  so  close  to  his  father  he  could 
scarcely  wait   for  the  time  to  come   when  they 
should  meet  face  to  face. 


158    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Roughly  estimated,  the  distance  from  Hull  to 
Christiania  is  about  six  hundred  miles.  As  it  was 
winter,  the  harbor  of  the  Norwegian  capital  was 
frozen  up,  so  the  steamer  could  not  go  further  than 
Drobak,  a  seaport  eighteen  miles  south  of  the 
capital.  Owing  to  the  wintry  weather  Dave 
learned  that  it  would  take  three  full  days  to  make 
the  voyage. 

It  was  not  particularly  cold  on  leaving  Hull,  but 
as  soon  as  the  steamer  struck  the  full  sweep  of  the 
winds  on  the  North  Sea  the  thermometer  went 
down  rapidly. 

"Phew!  but  this  is  cold!"  ejaculated  Roger,  as 
he  buttoned  his  coat  tightly.  "It's  like  being 
down  on  the  coast  of  Maine." 

"Just  wait  until  we  get  to  Norway — there  is 
where  you'll  find  it  cold,"  was  Dave's  reply. 
"Maybe  we'll  have  to  invest  in  fur  over- 
coats." 

"Well,  I  am  willing,"  answered  the  senator's 
son,  with  a  laugh. 

Fortunately,  both  boys  had  been  supplied  with 
considerable  cash  and  ample  letters  of  credit,  so  that 
monetary  matters  did  not  bother  them.  Before 
leaving  Hull,  Dave  supplied  himself  with  an 
English-Danish  Self-Educator,  and  on  the  ship 
both  he  and  Roger  studied  the  volume  with 
interest. 

"I   want   to   know   a    few   words,"    said   the 


ON  THE  NORTH  SEA  159 

senator's  son.  "It  is  awful  to  be  in  a  country 
when  you're  not  able  to  speak  a  word  of  the  lan- 
guage." 

On  the  second  day  of  the  voyage  the  two  boys 
got  something  of  a  scare.  They  heard  an  explo- 
sion and  then  a  great  cloud  of  steam  spread  over 
the  vessel. 

"Something  has  burst,  that's  certain !"  cried 
Dave.  "Let  us  go  on  deck  and  see  what  is 
wrong." 

They  hurried  out  on  the  main  deck  and  there 
found  a  great  number  of  passengers,  all  in  a  state 
of  excitement.  A  few  were  on  the  point  of  leap- 
ing overboard,  thinking  the  ship  was  going  to 
sink.  But  the  officers  were  cool  and  collected,  and 
did  all  in  their  power  to  restore  confidence. 

"Nothing  serious  has  occurred,"  was  the  an- 
nouncement one  of  the  officers  made,  in  the 
presence  of  Dave  and  his  chum.  "A  steam-pipe 
burst  and  one  of  the  engineers  was  scalded,  that  is 
all.  The  pipe  will  be  repaired  as  quickly  as 
possible." 

"Will  this  delay  us  much?"  asked  Dave. 

"That  I  cannot  say,"  was  the  answer. 

The  rest  of  the  day  passed  quietly  enough. 
The  steamer  moved  along  slowly,  for  the  engines 
were  badly  crippled.  Dave,  thinking  only  of  the 
time  in  which  he  might  reach  his  destination, 
walked  the  deck  impatiently. 


160    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"I'll  wager  this  means  another  day,"  said  he  to 
his  chum. 

"More  than  likely,"  was  the  reply.  "Well, 
since  it  can't  be  helped  you'll  have  to  make  the 
best  of  it." 

"Yes,  I  know,  Roger,  but  I'd  give  almost  any- 
thing to  be  in  Christiania  now." 

"I  can  appreciate  how  you  feel.  I'd  be  the 
same  way,  if  I  were  in  your  place,  Dave,"  was  the 
kindly  answer  of  the  senator's  son. 

That  night  a  heavy  snowstorm  came  on,  and  by 
morning  all  around  the  ship  was  completely  shut 
out  of  sight.  The  steam-pipe  had  now  been 
mended,  but  the  engines  had  to  be  kept  down  at  a 
low  speed  for  fear  of  running  into  some  other  craft. 
The  foghorn  was  blown  constantly,  and  occasion- 
ally came  an  answering  sound  from  another  vessel. 
Once  they  ran  close  to  a  three-masted  schooner, 
and  then  the  bell  on  that  ship  was  rung  with  a 
loud  clamor. 

"That  was  a  narrow  escape,"  said  Dave,  after 
the  schooner  had  drifted  from  sight. 

Towards  night  the  snowstorm  increased  in 
violence.  The  wind  piped  merrily  over  the  deck 
of  the  steamer  and  the  boys  were  glad  to  remain 
inside.  They  turned  in  early,  since  there  was  noth- 
ing else  to  do. 

Dave  could  not  sleep  at  first,  but  presently 
dropped  into  a  light  doze.  When  he  awoke  he 


Once  they  ran  close  to  a  three-masted  schooner.  — Page  160. 


ON  THE  NORTH  SEA  161 

sat  up  with  a  start.  He  had  heard  a  strange  noise, 
but  now  all  was  silent.  He  called  to  Roger,  but 
received  no  reply.  Then  he  called  again  and  got 
up  and  lighted  the  room. 

"Roger,  where  are  you?"  he  repeated,  and  then 
looked  toward  his  chum's  berth.  To  his  amaze- 
ment the  berth  was  made  up  as  if  it  had  never 
been  occupied,  and  Roger  was  gone. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

IN  NORWAY  AT  LAST 

THERE  is  no  denying  the  fact  that  Dave  was 
startled.  It  was  one  thing  to  have  Roger  missing, 
it  was  quite  another  to  have  his  chum  gone  and 
have  the  berth  made  up  as  if  it  had  never  been 
occupied. 

"He  went  to  bed — I  saw  him  go,"  muttered  the 
boy  from  the  country  to  himself.  "Am  I  dream- 
ing, or  what  can  the  matter  be?" 

The  more  Dave  thought  over  the  affair  the  more 
was  he  puzzled.  As  quickly  as  he  could,  he  put  on 
some  of  his  clothing  and  slipped  on  his  shoes. 
Then  he  opened  the  stateroom  door  and  stepped 
out  into  the  passageway  leading  to  the  main 
saloon. 

There  was  a  dim  light  burning  outside,  and 
nobody  appeared  to  be  in  sight.  Dave  looked  up 
and  down  the  passageway  eagerly,  and  even 
stepped  to  one  of  the  corners.  Then  he  walked  to 
the  main  saloon,  with  its  big  sofas  and  easy-chairs, 
and  its  grand  piano.  Not  a  soul  was  in  sight  any- 
where. 

162 


IN  NORWAY  AT  LAST  163 

"Well,  if  this  isn't  the  queerest  yet,"  he  mur- 
mured, and  pinched  himself,  to  make  certain  that 
he  was  not  dreaming.  He  walked  to  one  end  of 
the  saloon  and  then  to  the  other,  and  then  started 
for  the  stairs  leading  out  on  deck. 

At  that  moment  there  came  an  extra-heavy  gust 
of  wind  and  the  steamer  rocked  violently.  Dave 
was  thrown  on  his  side  and  fell  headlong  over  the 
end  of  a  sofa.  As  he  went  down  he  heard  several 
cries,  one  in  a  voice  that  sounded  familiar  to  him. 

"That  must  have  been  Roger,"  he  told  himself. 
"Where  can  he  be?"  And  then  he  called  out 
loudly:  "Roger!  Roger  Morrl  Where  are 
you?" 

The  boat  continued  to  toss  and  pitch,  and  now 
Dave  had  all  he  could  do  to  keep  his  feet.  When 
he  reached  the  entrance  to  the  main  deck  he  was 
stopped  by  one  of  the  under  officers. 

"Too  rough  to  go  out  there." 

"I  am  looking  for  my  friend,"  answered  Dave, 
and  told  of  the  disappearance  of  the  senator's 
son. 

"Perhaps  he's  walking  in  his  sleep,"  suggested 
the  officer. 

"That  may  be  it!"  cried  Dave.  "Queer  I 
didn't  think  of  it.  He  told  me  he  got  up  once  in  a 
great  while." 

"If  he  was  walking  in  his  sleep  the  lurching  of 
the  boat  must  have  awakened  him — if  he  cried  out. 


164    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Maybe  he  went  back  to  his  stateroom,"  continued 
the  ship's  official. 

"I'll  go  back  and  see." 

Not  without  some  difficulty  Dave  returned  to  his 
stateroom.  The  steamer  was  pitching  and  tossing 
dreadfully,  and  the  wind  made  a  wild  whistling 
sound  overhead.  He  heard  the  overturning  of  a 
table  or  a  chair  and  the  crash  of  glassware. 

"We  are  going  to  have  a  tough  night  of  it,"  he 
reasoned.  "Guess  further  sleep  will  be  out  of  the 
question." 

Hoping  he  would  find  his  chum  in  the  stateroom, 
Dave  returned  to  the  apartment.  Here  another 
surprise  was  in  store  for  him.  The  door  was 
locked  from  the  inside.  He  rapped  loudly  several 
times. 

"Hello!  Who's  there?"  came  in  a  sleepy 
voice. 

"Roger,  is  that  you?     Let  me  in." 

"Dave,  I  declare!  Why,  I  thought  you  were 
in  your- berth." 

The  senator's  son  came  to  the  door  and  opened 
it.  Dave  entered  the  stateroom,  which  was  dark. 

"Roger,  where  have  you  been?"  he  demanded. 

"So  you  knew  I  went  out,  did  you?"  asked  the 
senator's  son,  in  a  voice  that  showed  he  was  vexed. 
"I  thought  I  went  out  and  came  back  without  your 
knowing  it.  I  thought  you  were  still  in  your 
berth." 


IN  NORWAY  AT  LAST  165 

"I  got  up,  made  a  light,  and  found  you  gone — 
and  the  berth  made  up  as  if  you  hadn't  used  it." 
Dave  paused  and  looked  at  his  chum,  who  had  just 
lit  up. 

"Well — er — I  might  as  well  tell  you.  I  must 
have  been  walking  in  my  sleep,"  stammered  Roger, 
and  got  red.  "I'm  as  bad  as  Shadow  Hamilton." 

"Well,  I  hope  you  didn't  steal  anything,  as  he 
did,"  added  Dave  hastily,  referring  to  an  unfor- 
tunate incident  already  well  known  to  my  old 
readers. 

"I  don't  think  I  did — but  I  don't  know  where  I 
went." 

"You  made  up  your  bed,  too." 

"Did  I?     That's  queer." 

"And  you  don't  know  where  you  went  at  all, 
Roger?" 

"No,  I  haven't  the  slightest  idea." 

"Were  you  dreaming?" 

"I  think  I  was — I'm  not  sure.  It  was  some- 
thing about  Nick  Jasniff — he  was  trying  to  take 
something  from  me  and  I  got  afraid  of  him. 
That  is  all  I  can  remember." 

"I  thought  I  heard  you  scream — when  the  ves- 
sel gave  that  awful  lurch  a  few  minutes  ago." 

"That  woke  me  up,  and  I  found  myself  in  one 
of  the  passageways  not  far  from  here.  I  was 
dazed  by  the  tumble  I  received,  but  got  back  here 
all  right." 


166    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"After  this  you  had  better  tie  yourself  to  the 
bed,"  was  Dave's  final  remark,  and  then  he  turned 
in  again  and  the  light  was  again  extinguished. 

But  anything  more  than  fitful  dozes  could  not 
be  had.  The  North  Sea  is  well  known  for  its 
violent  storms  during  the  winter  months,  and  this 
one  proved  to  be  a  "corker,"  as  Dave  called  it 
afterwards.  The  waves  were  lashed  into  a  tre- 
mendous fury,  and  some  broke  over  the  steamer's 
deck  with  terrific  force,  one  carrying  away  a 
twenty-foot  section  of  the  forward  rail.  The 
high  wind  was  accompanied  by  a  snow  that  was  as 
fine  and  hard  as  salt,  and  this  sifted  through  every 
crack  the  windows  and  doors  afforded. 

"No  port  to-day,"  said  Dave;  and  he  was  right. 
To  run  close  to  the  Norwegian  coast  in  such  a  high 
wind,  and  with  so  much  snow  flying,  was  danger- 
ous, and  they  had  to  remain  for  twenty-four  hours 
longer  at  the  entrance  to  Christiania  Fjord — fjord 
being  the  local  name  for  bay. 

But  at  last  the  snow  stopped  coming  down  and 
the  wind  subsided  a  little,  and  the  steamer  headed 
up  the  bay  to  Drobak,  located  on  the  east  shore  of 
the  harbor.  Here  there  was  a  good  deal  of  float- 
ing ice,  and  plowing  among  it  were  vessels  of  all 
kinds  and  sizes,  all  covered  with  ice  and  snow. 

"It's  wintry  enough  up  here,  goodness  knows," 
remarked  Roger.  "I  wonder  how  far  north 
Christiania  is?" 


IN  NORWAY  AT  LAST  167 

"I  was  looking  it  up  on  the  map,"  answered 
Dave.  "It  is  located  about  sixty  degrees  north, 
which  is  just  about  the  latitude  of  the  lower  coast 
of  Greenland." 

"What,  as  far  north  as  that !  No  wonder  it  is 
cold." 

"Don't  forget,  Roger,  that  Norway  is  the  Land 
of  the  Midnight  Sun.  At  the  far  north  they  have 
a  night  lasting  about  three  months." 

"Well,  I  don't  want  such  a  night  as  that,  just 
yet." 

"No — you  might  do  too  much  sleep-walking," 
and  Dave  grinned. 

"Oh,  cut  that  out !"  and  the  face  of  the  senator's 
son  grew  red. 

"I  shan't  mention  it  again." 

Drobak  is  but  a  small  place,  containing  less  than 
twenty-five  hundred  inhabitants,  but  during  the 
winter  all  the  shipping  of  the  fjord  congregates 
there,  and  as  a  consequence  the  scene  was  a  lively 
one.  The  boys  were  quickly  landed,  and  then 
from  one  of  the  dock  officials  learned  where  they 
could  get  a  train  running  to  the  capital.  Their 
baggage  had  been  examined  and  passed  upon  by 
the  usual  custom  officials. 

"Well,  this  is  certainly  a  second-rate  railroad," 
was  Dave's  comment,  as  they  seated  themselves  in 
the  stuffy  coach  and  had  the  door  locked  upon 
them.  Then  the  train  moved  off  at  a  slow  rate  of 


168    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

speed  that  was  tantalizing  to  both.  With  half  a 
dozen  stops,  it  took  them  nearly  an  hour  to  reach 
Christiania,  only  eighteen  miles  away.  Looking 
out  of  the  window,  the  landscape  was  a  dreary  one, 
of  marshland  on  one  side  and  rocks  on  the  other, 
all  covered  with  ice  and  snow.  The  coach  had  no 
heat  in  it,  and  Roger  declared  that  his  feet  were 
half  frozen. 

"Puts  me  in  mind  of  the  time  I  visited  a  lumber 
camp  in  upper  Maine,"  he  told  his  chum.  "It  was 
in  the  winter-time,  and  they  only  ran  one  train  a 
day,  of  two  cars,  a  freight  and  a  combination  of 
everything  else.  We  were  delayed  on  the  road, 
almost  snowed  in,  and  I  didn't  thaw  out  for  a  week 
afterwards." 

At  the  railroad  station  in  Christiania  they  had 
some  trouble  passing  the  guard.  Again  their  bag- 
gage was  looked  over,  and  they  were  taken  to  an 
office  and  asked  a  dozen  or  more  questions  by  a 
man  who  looked  as  if  he  might  be  a  police-inspec- 
tor. What  it  was  all  about  they  could  not  make 
out,  but  at  first  the  officer  was  not  inclined  to  let 
them  go. 

"Perhaps  you  had  better  go  back  to  where  you 
came  from,"  said  the  man  to  Dave. 

"Why,  what's  the  trouble?"  demanded  the 
youth.  "I  am  sure  I  have  done  no  wrong." 

"What  brought  you  to  Norway?" 

"I  am  looking  for  my  father.     His  name  is 


IN  NORWAY  AT  LAST  169 

David  Porter,  like  my  own.  He  has  joined  the 
Lapham-Hausermann  Expedition,  bound  for  the 
interior  of  Norway." 

"Exactly,"  and  the  officer  looked  wise.  "Who 
is  this  young  man?" 

"This  is  my  friend,  Roger  Morr.  He  is  travel- 
ing with  me  for  company." 

"You  are  very  young  to  be  traveling  alone." 

"I  can't  help  that.  I  want  to  find  my  father, 
and  do  it  as  soon  as  I  can." 

"Is  he  expecting  you?" 

"I  don't  know.  I  sent  him  a  cablegram,  but  I 
do  not  know  if  he  received  it." 

"That  expedition — do  you  know  anything  about 
it?"  asked  the  officer,  shrewdly. 

"No,  sir — nothing  more  than  what  I  saw  in  the 
English  papers." 

"Didn't  your  father  tell  you  anything  about  it?" 

"No,  he  couldn't."     And  Dave  hesitated. 

"Why?" 

"Because — well,  he  doesn't  know  me — that  is, 
he  doesn't  know  I  am  alive." 

"This  is  extraordinary,  young  man !"  exclaimed 
the  officer  of  the  police,  for  such  the  man  was. 
"I  think  you  had  better  explain." 

"I  am  in  a  great  hurry,  sir,"  pleaded  Dave. 

"He  wants  to  catch  his  father  before  the  expedi- 
tion leaves  Christiania,"  put  in  Roger. 

"Before  it  leaves?" 


i;o    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Yes." 

The  police  official  drew  up  his  shoulders  and 
made  a  wry  face. 

"Has  it  left  already?"  questioned  Dave,  eagerly. 

"To  be  sure — four  days  ago,"  was  the  answer, 
which  filled  Dave's  heart  with  fresh  dismay. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

OFF  TO  THE  NORTHWARD 

DAVE  and  Roger  were  told  to  follow  the  police 
officer,  and  did  so,  to  a  large  stone  building,  located 
on  one  of  the  principal  streets  of  the  Norwegian 
capital.  As  they  walked  along  many  gazed  at 
the  American  boys  with  interest. 

.Conducted  into  a  plainly  furnished  office,  the 
boys  were  told  to  sit  down.  Then  they  were  asked 
if  they  had  any  objection  to  their  baggage  being 
examined. 

"Not  the  slightest,"  answered  Dave,  and  Roger 
said  the  same. 

"At  the  same  time  I  wish  you  to  understand 
one  thing,"  went  on  Dave's  chum.  "I  am  the  son 
of  a  United  States  senator,  and  if  I  have  to  suffer 
any  indignity  at  your  hands  you'll  hear  from  it 
later,  through  the  proper  authorities." 

"A  United  States  senator's  son !"  murmured  the 
police  official.  "Ah!"  He  took  a  long  breath. 
"I  shall  not  detain  you  a  second  longer  than  is 
necessary,  sir,"  he  went  on,  more  civilly. 

After  that  Dave  and  Roger  were  asked  a  great 
171 


i;2    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

number  of  additional  questions,  and  Dave  had 
virtually  to  tell  his  story  from  beginning  to  end. 
Several  officials  listened  with  interest,  but  whether 
they  believed  him  or  not  the  boy  could  not  tell. 

"I  am  afraid  you  will  have  hard  work  finding 
your  parent,"  said  the  police  officer,  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  interview. 

"He  must  have  left  some  directions  behind — 
for  forwarding  mail,  and  the  like." 

"Possibly,  but  I  doubt  it.  The  expedition  was 
bound  up  into  the  mountains, — so  it  was  said. 
The  means  of  communication  are  very  poor  at  this 
time  of  year." 

The  baggage  was  gone  over  with  care,  and  the 
examination  was  evidently  a  disappointment  to 
those  who  made  it.  A  long  talk  in  Norwegian  fol- 
lowed between  several  police  officials,  and  then 
Dave  and  Roger  were  told  that  they  could  go. 

"Would  you  mind  telling  me  what  it  is  all 
about?"  questioned  Dave,  when  he  was  ready  to 
leave. 

"You  will  have  to  excuse  me,  but  I  am  not  per- 
mitted to  answer  that  question,"  said  the  man  who 
had  brought  them  in,  gravely.  "If  we  have  de- 
tained you  without  just  cause,  we  are  very  sorry 
for  it."  And  that  was  all  he  would  say. 

"It's  mighty  queer,  to  say  the  least,"  observed 
Roger,  after  they  had  taken  their  departure. 
"Dave,  what  do  you  make  of  it?" 


OFF  TO  THE  NORTHWARD  173 

"I  think  they  took  us  to  be  some  foreigners  who 
had  come  to  Norway  for  no  good  purpose.  You 
must  remember  that  throughout  Europe  they  have 
great  trouble  with  anarchists  and  with  political 
criminals  who  plot  all  sorts  of  things  against  the 
various  governments.  Maybe  they  took  us  to  be 
fellows  who  had  come  here  to  blow  somebody  up." 

"They  ought  to  know  better  than  that.  I  don't 
think  we  look  like  anarchists." 

"Since  that  uprising  in  Russia,  and  the  attempt 
on  the  king  in  Italy,  every  nation  over  here  looks 
with  suspicion  on  all  foreigners.  But  there  is 
something  else  to  it,  I  imagine,"  went  on  Dave, 
seriously.  "Those  fellows  acted  as  if  they  didn't 
think  much  of  this  expedition  which  my  father  has 
joined.  Maybe  that  is  under  suspicion,  too." 

"Yes,  I  noticed  that — and  if  it  is  true,  your 
father  may  have  some  trouble  before  he  leaves 
Norway." 

"I  wish  I  could  get  to  him  at  once.  I  could 
warn  him." 

From  an  Englishman  on  the  steamer  the  boys 
had  learned  of  a  good  hotel  where  English  was 
spoken,  and  there  they  obtained  a  good  room  for 
the  night.  Before  going  to  bed  Dave  mailed 
several  postals  to  Jessie,  and  also  a  letter  to  his 
Uncle  Dunston  and  another  to  Phil  Lawrence,  for 
the  benefit  of  the  boys  at  Oak  Hall. 

It  was  not  difficult  in  Christiania  to  find  out  when 


174    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

the  Lapham-Hausermann  Expedition  had  left  the 
capital,  or  what  had  been  its  first  stopping-place. 
It  had  taken  a  railroad  train  to  Pansfar  and  then 
gone  northward  to  the  mountain  town  of  Blan- 
fos — so  called  because  of  the  waterfall  in  that 
vicinity — a  waterfall  being  a  fos  in  the  native 
tongue. 

"I  don't  see  anything  to  do  but  to  journey  to 
Blanfos,"  said  Dave.  "I  presume  it  will  be  a 
mighty  cold  trip,  and  you  needn't  go  if  you  don't 
wish  to,  Roger." 

"Didn't  I  say  I'd  go  anywhere  you  went — even 
if  it's  to  the  North  Pole  ?"  was  the  answer.  "Come 
on, — I'm  ready  to  start  any  time  you  are." 

"I  don't  think  we'll  get  to  the  North  Pole,  but 
we  may  get  to  the  North  Cape.  But  we  can't 
start  until  we've  got  those  fur  overcoats  we  talked 
about." 

At  several  of  the  shops  in  Christiania  they  pro- 
cured all  the  additional  clothing  they  thought  they 
needed.  Some  of  their  lighter-weight  stuff  they 
left  behind,  not  wishing  to  be  encumbered  with  too 
much  baggage.  They  booked  for  Pansfar  at  the 
railroad  station,  and  by  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon of  the  second  day  in  Norway  were  bound 
northward. 

"There  is  that  police  official,  watching  us!" 
cried  Roger,  as  the  train  was  about  to  depart.  He 
was  right — the  man  was  in  sight,  but  he  quickly 


OFF  TO  THE  NORTHWARD  175 

lost  himself  in  a  crowd,  and  whether  he  got  on  the 
train  or  not  they  could  not  tell. 

The  train  was  but  scantily  filled,  and  only  four 
people  occupied  the  coach  with  the  young  Amer- 
icans. One  couple  was  evidently  a  newly  married 
pair  who  had  been  on  a  wedding  trip  to  Chris- 
tiania,  and  they  were  very  retired  and  shy.  The 
other  pair  were  a  burgomaster  and  his  wife,  from 
some  interior  town.  The  burgomaster — who  held 
a  position  similar  to  that  of  a  mayor  in  an  Amer- 
ican city — wanted  everybody  to  know  who  he  was, 
and  was  thoroughly  disagreeable.  He  crowded 
Dave  into  a  corner  until  the  youth  could  hardly 
get  any  air. 

"I'll  thank  you  not  to  crowd  so  much — there  is 
plenty  of  room,"  said  the  boy. 

The  Norwegian  did  not  understand,  and  con- 
tinued to  crowd  the  youth.  Then  Dave  grew 
thoroughly  angry  and  crowded  back,  digging  his 
elbow  well  into  the  burgomaster's  fat  ribs.  This 
caused  the  man  to  glare  at  the  young  American. 
Nothing  daunted,  Dave  glared  back. 

"What  do  you  do  that  for?"  demanded  the 
burgomaster,  sourly. 

"I  don't  speak  Norwegian,"  answered  Dave, 
brokenly,  for  that  was  one  of  the  native  phrases  he 
had  picked  up.  "But  I  want  you  to  quit  crowding 
me,"  he  added,  in  English,  and  moved  his  elbows 
to  show  what  he  meant. 


176    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

The  burly  Norwegian  had  supposed  he  would 
daunt  Dave  by  his  looks,  and  when  he  saw  that  the 
young  American  was  unmoved  he  was  nonplussed. 
He  growled  out  something  to  his  wife,  who  grum- 
bled something  in  return.  He  did  not  budge,  and 
Dave  continued  to  hold  his  elbow  well  in  the  fel- 
low's ribs.  The  situation  had  its  comical  side, 
and  it  was  all  Roger  could  do  to  keep  from 
laughing. 

"If  you  don't  stop  that,  I'll  have  you  put  off 
the  train !"  roared  the  burgomaster. 

As  Dave  did  not  understand,  he  said  nothing. 

A  few  minutes  passed,  and  the  train  came  to  a 
halt  and  the  door  was  unlocked.  Nobody  got  out, 
but  a  round  and  ruddy-faced  man  got  in  and 
nodded  to  all  those  present. 

"Guard!  guard!  Come  here!"  roared  the  bur- 
gomaster, but  even  as  he  spoke  the  door  was  closed 
and  locked  again,  and  the  train  moved  off.  Then 
of  a  sudden  the  Norwegian  grabbed  Dave  by  the 
shoulder. 

"Let  go  there !"  cried  the  youth,  and  took  hold 
of  the  man's  fat  wrist.  He  gave  such  a  tight 
squeeze  that  the  burgomaster  was  glad  enough  to 
release  his  hold. 

"I  say,  what's  the  matter  here?"  demanded  the 
man  who  had  just  come  in,  and  spoke  in  a  distinctly 
English  tone  of  voice. 

"He's  been  shoving  me  into  a  corner  and  I  told 


OFF  TO  THE  NORTHWARD  177 

him  to  quit,"  answered  Dave,  glad  to  be  able  to 
make  himself  understood  to  somebody  besides 
Roger. 

The  Englishman  looked  at  the  Norwegian  and 
gave  a  grunt  of  disgust.  "Can't  you  let  the  lad 
alone?"  he  demanded,  in  Norwegian.  "He's  not 
hurting  you  any,  is  he?  What's  the  use  of  acting 
as  if  you  owned  the  whole  coach?" 

The  burgomaster  attempted  to  answer,  but  the 
Englishman  would  scarcely  listen.  He  liked 
Dave's  looks,  while  he  could  readily  see  that  the 
Norwegian  was  nothing  but  a  bully.  He  said  he 
didn't  care  if  the  man  was  a  burgomaster,  if  Dave 
wasn't  doing  anything  wrong  he  must  be  let  alone, 
and  a  good  deal  more  to  the  same  effect.  He  and 
the  Norwegian  got  into  a  spirited  argument,  but 
finally  the  burgomaster  cooled  down  a  bit,  got  up 
and  bounced  down  on  another  seat,  and  his  wife 
followed  him. 

"Some  of  these  blooming  chaps  are  as  overbear- 
ing as  they  can  be,"  remarked  the  Englishman, 
after  matters  had  quieted  down.  "Now  this  fel- 
low is  the  burgomaster  of  some  small  town  up  here 
in  Norway,  and  on  that  account  he  thinks  he  can 
treat  folks  as  he  pleases.  I  am  glad  to  know  you 
stood  up  for  your  rights.  Never  let  them  walk 
over  you.  Old  England  every  time,  say  I !"  And 
he  smiled  broadly. 

"I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  what  you  did," 


1 78    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

answered  Dave,  smiling  back.  "A  fellow  is 
at  a  disadvantage  when  he  can't  speak  the  lan- 
guage." 

"That's  true,  lad.  What  part  of  our  country 
do  you  come  from?" 

"I  come  from  the  United  States,  and  so  does  my 
friend  here,"  and  the  young  American  introduced 
himself  and  Roger. 

"Well  now,  isn't  that  strange!"  exclaimed  the 
newcomer.  "And  I  took  you  to  be  English  lads 
sure.  Well,  next  to  being  English  I'd  prefer  to 
be  an  American.  My  name  is  Granbury  Lap- 
ham." 

"Granbury  Lapham!"  cried  Dave,  quickly. 
"Not  the  Lapham  of  the  Lapham-Hausermann 
Expedition?" 

"No,  not  exactly  that,  lad,  but  close  to  it.  That 
Lapham  is  my  brother  Oscar.  He  is  younger 
than  I  and  daffy  on  the  subject  of  investigations. 
As  soon  as  I  heard  he  had  started  for  the  moun- 
tains of  Norway  I  came  over  to  find  out  just  what 
he  was  doing.  I  don't  want  him  to  investigate 
some  high  mountain  in  a  snowstorm,  fall  over  some 
precipice,  and  kill  himself." 

"You  are  going  to  join  the  expedition?" 

"Yes,  if  I  can  find  it.  But  what  do  you  know 
about  it?" 

"I  am  going  to  join  it  also,  and  so  is  my  friend," 
and  then  Dave  had  to  give  his  reasons.  Gran- 


OFF  TO  THE  NORTHWARD  179 

bury  Lapham  listened  with  many  a  nod  to  the 
recital. 

"I  declare,  Master  Porter,  it  sounds  like  a  six- 
shilling  novel,  don't  you  know,"  he  said.  "So 
you  haven't  ever  seen  this  father  of  yours?  Small 
wonder  you're  in  a  hurry  to  run  across  him.  Well, 
I'll  assist  you  all  I  can.  I  presume  we  had  better 
travel  together." 

"With  pleasure !"  cried  Dave,  and  he  and  the 
Englishman  shook  hands.  Then  Granbury  Lap- 
ham  told  something  of  himself,  and  thus  the  time 
passed  until  Pansfar  was  reached.  Here  they  got 
out,  the  burgomaster  scowling  after  them  as  they 
departed. 

The  Englishman  had  visited  Norway  a  number 
of  times  and  spoke  Danish  and  Norwegian  very 
well.  He  led  the  way  to  a  tavern,  where  all  en- 
joyed a  smoking-hot  meal,  with  some  steaming 
coffee. 

"In  the  parts  of  Norway  where  there  are  no 
railroads  the  stage  and  sleigh  lines,  so  called,  are 
under  the  control  of  the  government.  The  drivers 
are  allowed  to  charge  just  so  much  for  driving  a 
person  from  one  place  to  another,  and  the  road- 
houses  along  the  way  are  also  subject  to  official 
control,  and  you  can  always  get  your  meals  for  a 
stated  price." 

"I  suppose  a  fellow  can  get  extras,"  suggested 
Roger. 


i8o    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Certainly — whatever  you  pay  for,"  answered 
Granbury  Lapham,  with  a  laugh. 

He  said  that  the  Lapham-Hausermann  Expedi- 
tion consisted  of  six  members,  including  Mr.  Por- 
ter. What  the  object  was  he  did  not  particularly 
know,  excepting  that  his  brother  wanted  to  gather 
information  concerning  the  hardy  plants  of  Nor- 
way. He  knew  the  party  were  going  to  keep  to 
what  was  known  as  the  Sklovarak  Highway  as 
far  as  Fesfjor  and  then  to  a  new  road  leading 
directly  northward. 

"I  think  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  hire  a 
good  sleigh  and  a  double  team  of  horses,"  said  the 
Englishman.  "We'll  want  a  good  driver  too,  one 
who  knows  all  the  roads." 

It  took  them  until  the  next  day  to  obtain  just 
what  they  wanted.  The  sleigh  was  a  commodious 
one,  and  in  it  they  placed  such  things  as  the  driver 
advised  them  to  take  along.  Then,  wrapped  in 
fur  overcoats  and  wearing  fur  caps,  they  set  off, 
on  a  tour  that  was  destined  to  be  filled  with  not  a 
few  perils  and  strange  adventures. 


CHAPTER  XX 

AN  ENCOUNTER  WITH  WOLVES 

"WELL,  this  is  certainly  a  strange  Christmas 
day!" 

It  was  Dave  who  spoke.  He  stood  in  the  door- 
way of  a  small  log  hut,  gazing  anxiously  out  at  the 
landscape  before  him. 

He  was  in  the  very  heart  of  Norway,  and  on 
every  side  loomed  the  mountains  with  their  cover- 
ing of  ice  and  snow.  Just  behind  the  hut  was  a 
patch  of  firs,  the  only  trees  growing  in  that 
vicinity.  In  front  was  what  in  summer  was  a 
mountain  torrent,  now  a  mass  of  irregular  ice, 
the  hollows  filled  with  snow. 

The  party  had  arrived  at  this  place  the  night 
before,  after  four  days  of  almost  constant  travel- 
ing. But  here  a  blinding  snowstorm  had  brought 
them  to  a  halt,  the  driver  of  the  sleigh  refusing  to 
trust  himself  and  his  turnout  on  the  mountain  trail 
beyond. 

"It  is  a  bad  road,"  said  he  to  Granbury  Lap- 
ham,  in  Norwegian.  "A  slip  and  a  slide  and  we 
should  all  be  killed.  We  must  wait  until  the  storm 

181 


1 82    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

is  over."  And  so  they  put  up  at  this  hut  by  the 
roadside,  and  the  horses  were  stabled  in  a  cow-shed 
in  the  rear. 

The  four  days  of  traveling  in  the  heart  of  Nor- 
way had  been  full  of  interest  to  Dave  and  Roger. 
They  had  passed  through  half  a  dozen  towns  and 
as  many  more  villages,  and  had  met  not  a  few 
people  on  the  road,  some  dressed  like  ordinary 
Europeans  and  others  in  the  bright-colored  cloth- 
ing of  their  forefathers.  They  had  had  "all  kinds 
of  meals,  mostly  bad,"  as  Dave  declared,  and  both 
boys  longed  for  some  "United  States  cooking,"  as 
Roger  said.  But  one  thing  pleased  them — wher- 
ever they  slept  the  beds  were  good  and  the  rooms 
as  clean  as  wax. 

Up  to  the  day  previous  they  had  heard  a  num- 
ber of  times  about  the  scientific  expedition,  which 
was  said  to  be  just  ahead.  But  then  somebody 
had  sent  them  astray,  and  in  trying  to  get  on  the 
right  road  they  had  been  caught  in  the  snowstorm 
and  been  forced  to  take  to  the  shelter  as  described. 

"Too  bad,  Dave;  especially  when  you  hoped  to 
meet  your  father  by  Christmas,"  said  Roger. 
"But  shut  the  door — it  is  too  cold  for  comfort  out 
there." 

"I  opened  it  to  get  a  whiff  of  fresh  air, — it's  vile 
inside,  when  the  cooking  is  going  on — they  use  so 
much  fat  for  frying." 

The  hut  was  the  property  of  a  sturdy  moun- 


AN  ENCOUNTER  WITH  WOLVES      183 

taineer,  who  possessed  half  a  dozen  cows  and  a 
large  flock  of  sheep.  He  was  a  big  fellow,  all  of 
six  feet  four  inches  high,  with  yellowish  hair  and 
bright  blue  eyes.  He  was  generally  good-natured, 
but  the  boys  once  saw  him  give  his  oldest  son  a  box 
on  the  ear  that  sent  the  youngster  rolling  over  and 
over  on  the  floor. 

"He's  got  a  hand  on  him  like  a  ham,"  remarked 
the  senator's  son.  "I  shouldn't  want  him  to  strike 
me." 

"Most  of  these  Norwegian  mountain  folks  are 
big  and  strong,"  said  Granbury  Lapham.  "I 
fancy  the  puny  ones  die  off  young." 

"What  do  they  do  for  a  living?  They  can't 
farm  much  around  here,"  said  Dave. 

"They  raise  sheep,  goats,  and  cows,  and  a  good 
many  of  them  are  wood-choppers.  Norwegian 
lumber  is  a  great  thing  in  the  market,  and  of  late 
years  the  paper  mills  are  after  wood-pulp,  which 
they  get  from  the  small  growth.  Along  the  coast 
nearly  all  the  inhabitants  are  fishermen." 

The  family  of  the  hut-owner  consisted  of  his 
wife  and  seven  children.  For  Christmas  dinner 
there  were  a  hare  potpie,  carrots  and  onions,  and  a 
pudding  with  honey  sauce.  The  children  had  a 
Christmas  tree,  brought  in  by  their  father  from  the 
forest,  and  this  was  decorated  with  fancy-colored 
papers,  and  rings,  stars  and  animals,  all  made  of  a 
kind  of  ginger  and  spice  dough  and  baked  by  the 


1 84    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

housewife.  There  were  a  few  presents,  and  the 
boys  and  Granbury  Lapham  added  to  these  by  giv- 
ing the  children  each  a  small  silver  piece,  which 
delighted  them  hugely. 

"I'll  wager  they  are  having  a  fine  dinner  at  the 
Wadsworth  home,"  said  Dave,  with  a  sigh.  In 
his  mind's  eye  he  could  see  Jessie,  his  Uncle  Dun- 
ston,  and  all  the  others,  making  merry  around  the 
board. 

"Don't  mention  it,  Dave,"  answered  his  chum. 
"We  generally  have  a  bang-up  time,  too." 

"What  I  miss  most  of  all  is  my  plum-pudding, 
don't  you  know,"  remarked  Granbury  Lapham. 
"I've  had  plum-pudding  for  Christmas  ever  since 
I  was  a  baby." 

"I'd  like  to  know  how  my  father  is  faring." 

"And  my  brother,"  added  the  Englishman. 

"Well,  we  are  bound  to  catch  up  to  them  soon, 
so  don't  let  us  worry  about  it  any  more,"  said  the 
senator's  son,  cheerfully. 

The  mountaineer  was  something  of  a  huntsman, 
and  showed  the  boys  his  shotgun,  a  weapon  they 
considered  rather  antiquated,  yet  one  capable  of 
doing  good  service. 

"He  says  he  once  brought  down  a  bear  with  that 
gun,"  said  Granbury  Lapham.  "It  must  have 
been  at  close  quarters,  for,  as  I  understand  it,  a 
Norway  bear  is  a  pretty  tough  creature  to 
kill." 


AN  ENCOUNTER  WITH  WOLVES      185 

"Do  they  have  many  wild  animals  up  here?" 
questioned  Roger,  with  interest. 

"They  have,  besides  bears,  a  good  many  wolves, 
some  lynxes,  and  also  red  deer,  reindeer,  hares,  and 
a  variety  of  small  animals." 

"We  must  go  out  hunting  before  we  leave  Nor- 
way!"  cried  Roger,  who  liked  the  sport  very  much. 

"All  right,  I'm  willing,"  answered  Dave.  "But 
I  should  like  to  find  my  father  first,"  he  added, 
hastily. 

"Oh,  of  course." 

The  evening  of  Christmas  Day  was  spent  in 
watching  the  children  around  the  decorated  tree, 
which  was  lit  up  with  a  dozen  or  more  tiny  can- 
dles, of  home  production.  Then  the  boys  turned 
in  and  Granbury  Lapham  followed. 

About  the  middle  of  the  night  came  a  great  dis- 
turbance, and  in  a  minute  the  household  was  in  an 
uproar.  They  heard  the  mountaineer  call  to  his 
wife,  and  then,  lantern  in  hand,  he  rushed  outside 
and  toward  the  sheepfold,  back  of  the  cow-shed. 

"Some  wolves  have  gotten  among  the  sheep," 
explained  Granbury  Lapham,  after  a  few  words 
with  the  woman  of  the  hut.  "The  man  is  going 
after  them  with  his  gun." 

"Let  us  see  if  we  can  aid  him!"  exclaimed 
Roger,  and  slipped  on  such  of  his  clothing  as  he 
had  taken  off.  He  had  a  loaded  pistol  in  his 
pocket. 


186    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"If  you  go  out,  I'll  go  too,"  answered  Dave,  and 
followed  his  chum  to  the  rear  of  the  hut.  He,  too, 
had  a  pistol,  purchased  before  going  on  the  journey 
in  the  sleigh,  and  now  he  looked  to  see  that  the 
weapon  was  in  condition  for  use. 

Outside,  they  heard  the  mountaineer  calling 
loudly,  although  they  could  not  make  out  what  was 
being  said.  There  was  a  commotion  in  the  sheep- 
fold  and  also  in  the  cow-shed.  Then  came  a  crash- 
ing sound,  and  from  the  cow-shed  came  one  of  the 
horses. 

"Hullo!  one  of  the  horses  is  running  away!" 
cried  Dave.  "This  won't  do  at  all !  Whoa ! 
Whoa,  there !" 

But  the  steed  did  not  whoa — evidently  not  un- 
derstanding such  a  command !  On  it  went,  around 
the  corner  of  the  hut  and  along  the  snowy  trail. 
The  sleigh  driver  was  up  and  after  it,  and  set  off 
on  a  labored  run,  cracking  a  whip  as  he  went. 

"I  see  a  wolf!"  cried  Roger.  The  beast  had 
just  left  the  sheepfold  and  was  carrying  something 
in  its  mouth.  Evidently  it  was  nearly  famished, 
or  it  would  never  have  stopped  to  carry  off  such  a 
burden. 

"It's  a  sheep !"  said  Dave. 

As  he  spoke,  the  senator's  son  fired,  and  the 
bullet  from  his  pistol  hit  the  wolf  in  the  side.  The 
beast  staggered  for  a  second  and  then  kept  on,  still 
carrying  the  sheep  in  its  strong  teeth. 


AN  ENCOUNTER  WITH  WOLVES       187 

"He's  game,  that's  sure,"  said  Dave,  and  now 
he,  too,  fired,  running  forward  as  he  did  so.  Then 
came  the  roar  of  the  shotgun  from  the  sheepfold 
and  out  came  another  wolf,  followed  presently  by  a 
third.  The  fourth  and  last  of  the  pack  was  in- 
stantly killed  by  the  mountaineer,  who  literally,  at 
close  range,  blew  the  animal's  head  off. 

Dave's  shot  caused  the  wolf  with  the  sheep  to 
falter,  and  presently  it  dropped  its  burden  and 
limped  away  for  the  nearest  patch  of  firs.  As  it 
did  this  the  second  and  the  third  wolf  ranged  up  by 
the  side  of  the  two  young  Americans.  Roger  fired 
three  shots  in  succession  and  Dave  fired  twice,  but 
the  animals  were  so  quick  that  but  little  damage 
was  done.  One  beast  was  hit  in  the  tail  and  the 
other  in  the  shoulder,  and  this  made  them  ex- 
tremely ugly. 

Granbury  Lapham  had  come  out,  but  was  at  the 
sheepfold  with  the  mountaineer.  As  a  consequence 
the  two  boys  faced  the  two  wolves  alone.  One 
was  sniffing  at  the  body  of  the  dead  sheep,  and 
now  it  essayed  to  raise  the  carcass  up. 

"He's  going  to  run  off  with  that  sheep !"  cried 
Roger. 

"Not  if  I  know  it!"  answered  Dave,  and  rush- 
ing closer,  he  took  the  best  aim  the  night  afforded 
and  blazed  away.  The  wolf  dropped  the  carcass, 
gave  a  vicious  snarl,  and  turned  abruptly. 

"Look    out!"    yelled    the    senator's    son,    and 


1 88    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

scarcely  had  he  spoken  when  the  wolf  was  at 
Dave's  very  feet,  glaring  ferociously  into  the 
youth's  face,  Dave  wanted  to  fire  at  the  animal, 
but  only  a  click  of  the  hammer  followed  the  pulling 
of  the  pistol's  trigger. 

It  was  a  moment  of  peril,  but  Roger  came  to 
the  rescue.  Not  to  hit  his  chum,  he  ran  around 
to  the  wolf's  side  and  blazed  away  twice  in  rapid 
succession.  This  was  too  much  for  the  wolf,  and 
with  only  a  grunt  it  rolled  over  and  stretched  out 
dead. 

"Good  for  you,  Roger!"  said  Dave.  "If  you 

hadn't Look  out,  here  come  the  other 

wolf!" 

Dave  was  right:  undaunted  by  the  death  of  its 
mate,  the  last  wolf — the  largest  of  the  pack  of 
four — had  leaped  up  through  the  snow  and  dark- 
ness. It  was  so  hungry  that  the  smell  of  blood 
maddened  it  beyond  all  endurance.  It  leaped  so 
close  to  Dave  it  brushed  his  legs,  then  grabbed  the 
sheep  and  began  to  drag  the  carcass  rapidly 
through  the  snow. 

"He's  game,  I  must  say!"  cried  Roger,  and  re- 
loaded his  pistol,  while  Dave  did  the  same.  Then 
came  a  shout  from  the  sheepfold  and  the  moun- 
taineer put  in  an  appearance,  followed  by  Gran- 
bury  Lapham. 

The  man  of  the  place  was  angry,  for  three  of  his 
best  sheep  had  been  killed.  He  blazed  away  as 


AN  ENCOUNTER  WITH  WOLVES      189 

soon  as  he  saw  the  wolf,  but  his  aim  was  poor,  and 
the  snow,  blown  up  by  a  sudden  wind,  almost  hid 
the  beast  from  sight.  Then  the  Englishman  fired, 
hitting  the  wolf  in  the  right  hind  leg.  The  animal 
whirled  savagely,  dropped  the  sheep,  gave  a  snarl 
of  rage,  and  suddenly  confronted  Roger. 

"Get  back,  you !"  yelled  the  senator's  son,  and 
fired  point-blank  at  the  wolf.  He  hit  only  one 
ear,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  wolf  was  on  his  breast, 
trying  his  best  to  get  at  Roger's  throat. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

CAUGHT  IN  A  WINDSTORM 

IT  was  an  anxious  moment  for  all,  and  the 
others  expected  to  see  poor  Roger  almost  torn  to 
pieces.  The  wolf  was  big  and  strong,  and  hunger 
and  the  wounds  it  had  received  made  it  a  formi- 
dable antagonist.  Its  eyes  gleamed  like  those  of  a 
tiger. 

"Help!  help!"  cried  Roger,  and  then  his  words 
were  drowned  in  the  crack  of  Dave's  pistol.  Tak- 
ing the  best  aim  he  could,  the  youth  fired  three 
times,  and  the  wolf  was  hit  in  the  side  and  the 
rump.  It  fell  to  the  ground,  whirled  over  and 
over  in  the  snow,  and  started  for  Dave.  Then 
Granbury  Lapham  fired,  and  the  wolf  fell  over  on 
its  side.  A  moment  later  the  mountaineer  rushed 
in,  and  with  a  club  he  had  picked  up  at  the  sheep- 
fold  dashed  out  the  brains  of  the  creature;  and 
thus  the  strange  and  unexpected  encounter  came  to 
an  end. 

Roger  had  suffered  little  more  than  a  few 
scratches,  yet  he  was  so  weak  that  the  others  had 
to  support  him  back  to  the  hut. 

190 


CAUGHT  IN  A  WINDSTORM          191 

"I — I  felt  it  was  my  last  minute  on  earth !"  he 
gasped.  "If  that  wolf  had  been  left  alone  another 
ten  seconds  he  would  have  bitten  me  in  the  throat  1" 

"He  was  certainly  a  savage  beast,"  replied 
Dave.  He,  too,  was  trembling,  in  spite  of  all  he 
could  do  to  control  himself. 

Several  lights  were  now  lit;  and  leaving  Roger 
at  the.  hut,  the  others  went  around  to  view  the 
damage  done.  The  mountaineer  mourned  the  loss 
of  his  sheep,  but  was  rejoiced  to  know  so  many 
wolves  were  dead. 

"I  know  that  big  wolf,"  he  told  the  Englishman. 
"He  had  given  me  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  He 
was  the  leader  of  the  pack.  Now  he  is  gone, 
perhaps  I  shall  have  peace  for  the  rest  of  the 
winter." 

The  sleigh  driver  had  returned  with  the  run- 
away horse.  The  animal  was  highly  excited  and 
the  driver  had  all  he  could  do  to  quiet  the  steed. 

"I  could  tell  a  long  story  about  this  horse,"  said 
the  sleigh  driver.  "Once  we  were  caught  near 
Stamo  in  a  great  snow.  The  wolves  came  after  us 
and  this  horse  was  bitten  in  the  flank.  That  is 
what  made  him  so  afraid.  The  other  horses  do 
not  know  what  wolves  really  are,  and  they  did  not 
mind  them  any  more  than  they  would  so  many 
dogs." 

"This  is  a  Christmas  night  to  remember,"  said 
Dave,  when  they  finally  turned  in  again.  "Roger, 


192    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

if  this  sort  of  thing  keeps  up,  we  are  in  for  a  trip 
full  of  excitement." 

"Thank  you,  I  don't  want  to  meet  any  more 
wolves,"  replied  the  senator's  son. 

All  were  worn  out  by  what  had  happened  and 
glad  to  sleep  late  the  following  day.  When  they 
arose  they  found  the  storm  had  cleared  away  and 
it  was  as  bright  as  could  be  expected  at  this  time  of 
year.  Once  more  the  sleigh  was  brought  forth 
and  the  double  team  harnessed  up.  From  the 
mountaineer  they  obtained  a  few  extra  provisions, 
including  a  portion  of  the  mutton  that  had  been 
killed.  For  this  the  man  would  take  no  pay,  but 
the  boys  made  his  wife  a  present  of  some  silver 
that  pleased  the  family  very  much. 

"And  now  to  catch  the  exploring  party !"  cried 
Dave.  "I  don't  think  they  traveled  any  further 
than  we  did  in  that  awful  snowstorm." 

"It  all  depends  upon  what  road  they  were  on,  so 
Hendrik  tells  me,"  answered  Granbury  Lapham. 
Hendrik  was  the  sleigh  driver,  a  good-natured 
man,  although  rather  silent. 

"Does  he  mean  that  they  could  travel  on  some 
of  the  roads,  even  if  it  did  storm?"  asked  Dave. 

"Yes." 

"Well,  all  we  can  do  is  to  follow  them  the  best 
we  know  how,"  said  Roger. 

The  new  fall  of  snow  had  made  traveling  very 
heavy,  and  by  noon  they  had  covered  only  nine 


CAUGHT  IN  A  WINDSTORM          193 

miles.  Not  a  hut  was  in  sight,  and  they  made  a 
temporary  camp  at  the  edge  of  a  pine  forest,  where 
the  trees  sheltered  them  from  the  wind.  A  fire 
was  built  and  they  broiled  a  piece  of  mutton  and 
made  a  large  pot  of  coffee. 

"What  a  sparsely  settled  country  this  is!"  re- 
marked the  senator's  son.  "I  declare,  it  looks  like 
some  spots  in  the  far  West  of  the  United  States.'* 

"Norway  is  the  most  thinly  settled  country  of 
Europe,"  answered  Granbury  Lapham.  "And  in- 
stead of  growing  better  it  seems  to  grow  worse. 
Many  of  the  peasants  emigrate  to  Canada  and  the 
United  States,  where  they  can  get  productive  farms 
without  much  trouble." 

It  was  necessary  to  let  the  horses  rest  for  an 
hour,  and  during  that  time  the  two  boys  strolled 
around  the  vicinity.  There  was,  however,  not 
much  to  see,  and  once  off  the  road  they  found 
walking  uncertain  and  dangerous. 

"I  can  now  understand  why  the  driver  didn't 
want  to  go  on  in  that  storm,"  was  Dave's  comment, 
when  he  pulled  himself  out  of  a  gully  several  feet 
deep.  "A  little  more  and  I'd  have  gone  heels 
over  head,  and  what  would  happen  to  the  turnout 
in  such  a  place  I  don't  know." 

"If  the  sleigh  breaks  down,  or  we  lose  a  horse, 
it  will  be  very  bad,"  answered  the  Englishman, 
gravely.  "The  further  north  we  go  the  more 
careful  we  must  be,  or  we  may  not  get  back  in 


194    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

safety.  I  think  that  exploring  expedition  was 
rather  a  foolhardy  undertaking — at  this  season  of 
the  year." 

"I  believe  I  know  what  prompted  my  father  to 
undertake  it,"  said  Dave.  "It  was  the  spirit  of 
adventure.  My  Uncle  Dunston  says  my  father 
loves  an  adventure  of  any  kind." 

"Do  you  take  after  him?"  asked  the  English- 
man, with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

"I  think  I  must — otherwise  I  shouldn't  be  here," 
and  Dave  smiled  broadly. 

The  sleigh  driver  said  that  if  they  made  good 
time  during  the  afternoon  they  would  reach  the 
village  of  Bojowak  by  five  or  six  o'clock.  Here 
he  was  certain  they  would  hear  further  of  the  ex- 
ploring party. 

"Then  let  us  hurry  all  we  can,"  said  Dave.  "If 
it  is  too  much  of  a  pull  for  the  horses,  I,  for  one, 
am  willing  to  walk  part  of  the  way." 

"So  am  I,"  added  the  senator's  son,  and  the 
Englishman  also  agreed  to  this,  although  he  de- 
clared that  trudging  in  the  deep  snow  generally 
winded  him  greatly. 

They  were  now  approaching  a  dangerous  part 
of  the  road,  which  ran  around  the  western  slope 
of  two  fair-sized  mountains.  They  progressed 
with  care,  and  frequently  the  driver  would  go  in 
advance,  to  make  sure  that  the  footing  was  good. 

"If  only  the  fellows  of  Oak  Hall  could  see  us 


CAUGHT  IN  A  WINDSTORM  195 

now  I"  declared  Dave.  "Wonder  what  they 
would  say?" 

"I  must  take  another  snapshot  or  two,"  an- 
swered Roger. 

He  had  brought  a  folding  pocket  camera  with 
him  and  had  already  taken  several  rolls  of  pictures. 
None  of  the  films  had  been  developed,  so  he  could 
not  as  yet  tell  how  the  snapshots  would  turn  out. 
Now  he  took  a  picture  of  Dave  knee-deep  in  snow, 
with  the  turnout  and  the  others  in  the  background. 

"I  ought  to  have  a  picture  of  that  fight  with  the 
wolves,"  said  Roger,  when  he  put  his  camera  away. 
"When  we  tell  about  it  at  the  Hall  some  of  the 
fellows  will  be  sure  to  say  it's  a  fish-story." 

"Nat  Poole  won't  believe  it  for  one,  Roger;  and 
I  don't  think  Merwell  will  believe  it  either." 

At  the  mention  of  Merwell's  name  Dave's  face 
clouded  for  an  instant. 

"I  wish  Merwell  would  leave  Oak  Hall,  Roger," 
he  said.  "Somehow,  I  like  that  chap  less  than  I 
do  Nat  Poole  or  anybody  else — even  Jasniff." 

"So  do  I.  Poole  is  a  fool,  and  Jasniff  is  a  hot- 
headed scamp,  but  this  Merwell "  The  sena- 
tor's son  could  not  finish. 

"I  believe  Merwell  has  the  making  of  a 
thoroughly  bad  fellow  in  him,"  finished  Dave.  "I 
don't  see  how  Doctor  Clay  allowed  him  to  join  the 
school." 

On  and  on  went  the  sleigh.     The  road  was  up- 


196    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

hill,  and  all  hands  walked.  Once  they  passed  a 
man  on  horseback,  wrapped  up  in  furs.  He  stared 
at  them  curiously. 

"Stop,  please!"  called  out  Granbury  Lapham, 
in  Norwegian,  and  the  traveler  came  to  a  halt. 
When  questioned  he  said  he  had  heard  about  the 
strange  party  of  six  men  who  had  come  into  that 
part  of  Norway,  and  he  had  also  heard  that  the  au- 
thorities were  watching  them. 

"But  where  did  they  go  to?"  asked  the  English- 
man. 

That  the  man  could  not  tell,  but  said  they  might 
possible  find  out  at  Bojowak,  from  a  man  named 
Quicklabokjav. 

"What  a  name!"  cried  Dave. 

"It's  bad  enough — but  I  have  heard  worse,"  an- 
swered Granbury  Lapham.  "Some  of  the  Nor- 
wegian names  are  such  that  a  person  speaking  the 
English  tongue  cannot  pronounce  them  correctly." 

They  were  now  more  anxious  than  ever  to  reach 
Bojowak,  which  Hendrik  said  was  a  village  of 
about  sixty  or  seventy  inhabitants.  The  people 
were  mostly  wood-choppers,  working  for  a  lumber 
company  that  had  located  in  that  territory  two 
years  before. 

The  wind  was  beginning  to  rise  again.  This 
blew  the  snow  down  from  the  mountain  side,  and 
occasionally  the  landscape  was  all  but  blotted  out 
thereby.  They  struggled  along  as  best  they  could, 


CAUGHT  IN  A  WINDSTORM          197 

the  driver  cracking  his  whip  with  the  loudness  of 
a  pistol.  They  passed  around  one  edge  of  the 
mountain,  only  to  view  with  consternation  a  still 
more  dangerous  stretch  of  road  ahead. 

"Dave,  this  is  getting  interesting,"  remarked 
Roger,  as  the  horses  stopped  for  a  needed  rest. 

"I  don't  like  the  looks  of  that  road,  Roger. 
There  is  too  much  snow  on  the  upper  side  and  too 
deep  a  hollow  on  the  lower." 

"Right  you  are."  The  senator's  son  turned  to 
the  Englishman.  "Mr.  Lapham,  will  you  ask 
Hendrik  if  he  thinks  it  is  safe  to  go  on?" 

When  appealed  to,  the  burly  sleigh  driver 
merely  shrugged  his  shoulders.  Then  he  looked 
up  the  mountain  side  speculatively. 

"He  says  he  thinks  we  can  get  through  if  the 
wind  doesn't  blow  too  strongly,"  said  Granbury 
Lapham,  presently. 

"But  the  wind  is  blowing  strong  enough  now," 
answered  Roger. 

"And  it  is  gradually  getting  worse,"  added 
Dave. 

Once  again  they  went  forward,  but  now  with 
added  caution.  Ahead  of  them  was  a  point  where 
the  firs  stood  in  a  large  patch  with  the  road  cut 
through  the  center.  As  they  entered  the  forest  the 
wind  whistled  shrilly  through  the  tree  branches. 

"I'd  give  a  good  bit  to  be  safe  in  that  village," 
remarked  Roger,  after  listening  to  the  wind. 


198    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"After  we  leave  this  patch  of  timber  we  are  going 
to  have  our  own  troubles  on  the  road." 

They  looked  at  the  sleigh  driver  and  saw  that 
he,  too,  was  disturbed.  He  stopped  the  team  and 
gazed  upward  between  the  firs  to  the  dull  and 
heavy  sky.  Then  he  shook  his  head  slowly. 

"He  says  another  storm  is  coming,"  said  Gran- 
bury  Lapham.  "It  is  a  great  pity  that  it  can't 
keep  off  until  we  reach  Bojowak." 

They  were  in  the  very  center  of  the  patch  of  firs 
when  the  wind  increased  as  if  by  magic.  It  caught 
up  the  loose  snow  and  sent  it  whirling  this  way  and 
that,  almost  blinding  the  travelers.  The  horses, 
too,  could  not  see,  and  they  stopped  short,  refusing 
to  go  another  step.  The  driver  looked  around 
again,  and  now  his  face  showed  that  he  was 
frightened. 

"He  says  we  must  gain  shelter  of  some  kind," 
said  the  Englishman,  after  a  few  hurried  words 
had  passed.  "He  thinks  it  will  be  dangerous  to 
remain  here  among  the  trees." 

"The  shelter  of  the  trees  is  better  than  nothing," 
answered  Roger.  "If  we  were  in  the  open  and 
this  wind Gracious!  listen  to  that!" 

A  sudden  rush  of  wind  swept  through  the  forest, 
causing  the  trees  to  sway  and  creak.  The  loose 
snow  was  blown  in  all  directions,  and  they  had  to 
be  careful  that  they  did  not  get  their  eyes  and 
mouths  full  of  the  stuff. 


CAUGHT  IN  A  WINDSTORM          199 

"It's  almost  as  bad  as  a — a  blizzard!"  panted 
Dave.  "And  I  really  think  it  is  growing  worse 
every  minute !" 

"The  question  is,  where  shall  we  go?"  said 
Granbury  Lapham. 

"Perhaps  the  driver  knows  of  some  shelter," 
suggested  Dave. 

"If  he  does " 

The  Englishman  got  no  further,  for  at  that 
moment  came  another  rush  of  air.  It  bore  down 
upon  the  forest  with  terrific  force,  and  a  second 
later  they  heard  several  trees  go  down  with  crashes 
that  terrified  them  to  the  heart.  It  was  a  most 
alarming  situation,  and  what  to  do  to  protect  them- 
selves nobody  seemed  to  know. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

SNOWBOUND   IN   THE    MOUNTAINS 

"I?  we  stay  here  we'll  be  in  danger  of  the  falling 
trees !"  cried  Dave.  He  had  to  raise  his  voice  to 
make  himself  heard  above  the  fury  of  the  ele- 
ments. 

"That's  true,  but  where  are  we  to  go?"  ques- 
tioned Roger.  The  look  in  his  eyes  showed  his 
keen  anxiety. 

"Isn't  there  some  kind  of  a  cliff  around  here, 
under  which  we  can  stand?"  asked  Granbury  Lap- 
ham  of  the  sleigh  driver.  Hendrik  shrugged  his 
shoulders  for  a  moment,  then  suddenly  tossed  his 
head. 

"Yes,  I  know  such  a  spot,"  he  said,  in  his  native 
tongue.  "Come,  we  will  try  to  reach  it  before  it 
is  too  late." 

Amid  the  howling  of  the  wind  and  the  swirling 
of  the  snow,  the  horses  and  sleigh  were  turned 
partly  around,  and  they  struck  off  on  a  side  trail, 
leading  up  the  mountain.  On  and  on  they  toiled, 
a  distance  of  perhaps  five  hundred  feet,  although 
to  the  boys  it  seemed  a  mile  or  more.  The  wind 

200 


SNOWBOUND  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS   201 

was  so  strong  it  fairly  took  their  breath  away,  and 
the  snow  all  but  blinded  them.  They  had  to  walk, 
for  it  was  all  the  double  team  could  do  to  drag  the 
turnout  over  the  rough  rocks  and  through  the 
snow.  Once  Dave  slipped,  bumped  against  the 
Englishman,  and  both  rolled  downward  a  distance 
of  several  yards. 

"Excuse  me!"  panted  the  young  American. 
"My  feet  went  up  before  I  was  aware." 

"Don't  mention  it,  my  lad,"  was  the  gasped-out 
answer.  "I  fancy  we're  all  doing  the  best  we  can." 

Presently,  through  the  driving  snow,  came  the 
sight  of  a  high,  rocky  wall.  The  sleigh  driver 
halted  and  warned  the  others  to  do  likewise. 

"He  says  there  is  a  pocket  at  the  base  of  the 
cliff  and  we  must  be  careful  that  we  don't  fall  in 
it,"  said  Granbury  Lapham.  "Let  us  wait  until 
he  makes  certain  it  is  perfectly  safe." 

In  a  few  minutes  Hendrik,  having  gone  for- 
ward, came  back  and  led  the  horses  closer  to  the 
rocky  wall,  which  towered  over  their  heads  a  dis- 
tance of  a  hundred  feet  or  more.  Toward  the 
base  the  wall  receded  about  a  rod,  so  that  the  over- 
hanging portion  afforded  a  little  shelter  below. 
Outside  of  this  shelter  was  a  drift  of  snow  as  high 
as  their  heads,  and  the  travelers  had  not  a  little 
trouble  in  getting  through  it. 

"Well,  this  is  certainly  better  than  nothing," 
remarked  Dave,  as  he  shook  the  snow  from  his 


202    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

garments.  "So  long  as  the  wind  comes  from  down 
the  mountain  we'll  be  safe  enough." 

Hendrik  proved  a  practical  fellow  in  the  emer- 
gency. He  found  a  spot  where  some  small  rocks 
outside  of  the  cliff  set  up  something  of  a  barrier  in 
front.  Then  he  unhitched  the  horses,  took  the 
outfit  from  the  sleigh,  and  turned  the  sleigh  upon 
its  side.  Not  content  with  this,  he  found  some  fir 
saplings,  cut  them  down  with  an  axe  he  carried,  and 
on  them  spread  out  the  lap-robes.  By  the  time 
he  had  finished  they  had  quite  a  shelter  from  the 
wind  and  cold. 

"Make  a  little  fire  now,"  he  said,  to  the  English- 
man. "But  be  very  careful  that  the  forest  does 
not  catch."  And  then  he  explained  that  to  allow 
the  forest  to  burn  in  Norway  was  a  prison  offence. 

"It's  an  outrage  to  burn  down  a  forest,  any- 
way," said  Roger.  "It  takes  so  long  for  the  trees 
to  grow  again." 

"Yes,  and  they  are  never  so  nice  afterwards 
either,"  added  Dave. 

With  security  from  the  storm,  at  least  for  the 
time  being,  everybody  found  himself  hungry.  A 
small  fire  of  fir  branches  was  started,  and  over  this 
they  made  a  pot  of  coffee  and  broiled  a  piece  of  the 
mutton  brought  along.  They  had  some  bread 
with  them,  and  also  some  cheese-cake,  and  man- 
aged to  make  a  square  meal.  They  took  their 
time  eating,  since  there  was  nothing  else  to  do. 


SNOWBOUND  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS    203 

"Wonder  how  long  we'll  have  to  stay  here?" 
mused  the  senator's  son. 

"Until  this  awful  wind  lets  up,  I  guess,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "My!  just  listen  to  it  roar  and 
whistle !  I  shouldn't  care  to  be  out  on  the  moun- 
tain top." 

"You  couldn't  stand  up  there." 

Hendrik  brought  in  a  large  bundle  of  sticks  and 
kept  the  fire  going,  so  that  they  were  soon  well 
warmed.  In  the  meantime  it  was  growing  darker 
and  darker. 

"We'll  have  to  stay  here  until  morning,"  an- 
nounced Granbury  Lapham.  "To  attempt  to 
move  in  this  darkness  would  be  foolhardy." 

There  was  absolutely  nothing  to  do  after  that 
but  sit  down  and  rest,  and  soon  the  dancing  of  the 
fire  made  Dave  sleepy.  He  rolled  up  in  a  blanket 
and  closed  his  eyes,  and  presently  Roger  followed 
his  example. 

When  the  two  boys  awoke  it  was  morning,  but 
only  a  faint  light  reached  them  in  their  sleep- 
ing place  under  the  cliff.  They  found  Gran- 
bury  Lapham  already  up.  The  sleigh  driver, 
worn  out,  was  stretched  beside  the  fire,  snoring 
lustily. 

"Why,  what  has  happened?"  asked  Dave,  try- 
ing to  look  beyond  the  shelter.  "I  declare,  it 
looks  as  if  we  were  snowed  in!" 

"That's  about  the  size  of  it,"  returned  the  sena- 


204    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

tor's  son.  "And  it  looks  to  me  as  if  it  was  still 
snowing." 

"We'll  have  a  time  getting  out  on  the  road." 

It  was  snowing  thickly,  so  that  but  little  could 
be  seen  beyond  the  improvised  shelter.  Fortu- 
nately, however,  the  wind  had  gone  down,  so  that 
it  was  not  nearly  so  cold  as  it  had  been. 

They  made  themselves  breakfast,  and  then 
Granbury  Lapham  aroused  the  sleigh  driver. 
Hendrik  went  beyond  the  shelter  before  eating  and 
shook  his  head  dubiously. 

"It  will  be  a  hard  road  to  travel,"  he  announced, 
in  Norwegian,  to  the  Englishman.  "A  hard  road 
indeed!" 

"Don't  you  think  we  can  reach  Bojowak  to- 
day?" asked  Granbury  Lapham. 

"We  can  try,"  was  the  non-committal  reply. 

They  did  not  start  until  nearly  noon.  First 
Hendrik  broke  the  road  with  the  horses  alone  and 
then  came  back  for  the  sleigh.  It  took  a  full  hour 
to  get  down  to  the  spot  where  they  had  turned  off 
the  Bojowak  highway  the  day  previous.  Even 
then  they  broke  one  of  the  traces  and  had  to  stand 
around  while  the  leather  was  mended.  The  fall- 
ing snow  was  so  thick  they  could  not  see  any  dis- 
tance ahead.  It  clung  to  their  fur  caps  and  over- 
coats until  each  looked  "like  a  regular  Santa 
Claus,"  as  Dave  declared. 

Beyond  the  forest  the  road  ran  along  a  ridge, 


SNOWBOUND  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS   205 

and  here  they  found  traveling  much  easier,  so  that 
all  entered  the  sleigh  once  more  and  rode.  But  at 
the  end  of  the  ridge  they  found  a  hollow  covered 
even  with  snow. 

"What's  the  trouble  now?"  questioned  the 
Englishman,  as  Hendrik  pulled  in  his  four  horses. 

"I  must  see  how  deep  it  is  first,"  was  the  reply, 
and  the  Norwegian  jumped  out  and  walked  ahead 
with  a  long  and  slender  pole  he  had  brought  along. 
Of  a  sudden  he  sank  up  to  his  waist.  Then  he 
stuck  his  pole  down  ahead  of  him.  The  snow  was 
all  of  seven  feet  deep.  He  shook  his  head  vigor- 
ously. 

"We  can't  drive  through  there,"  said  Dave. 
"Now  what's  to  be  done?" 

Roger  and  Granbury  Lapham  stared  around 
helplessly.  The  driver  came  back  and  began  an 
inspection  of  the  ground  to  the  left.  Here  was 
another  ridge.  He  said  they  might  try  skirting 
that,  since  there  seemed  nothing  else  to  do. 

"All  right,  anything  so  long  as  we  get  to  Bojo- 
wak !"  cried  Dave. 

The  sleigh  was  turned  partly  around  and  the 
horses  tugged  and  labored  bravely  to  get  through 
the  snow  on  the  new  route.  They  went  up  a 
small  rise  of  ground  and  then  along  a  ridge  that 
did  not  appear  to  be  more  than  two  yards  wide. 
At  one  point  there  was  a  sharp  decline  on  the  left. 

"We'll   have   to   be   careful  here!"   cried  the 


206    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Englishman  to  the  driver.  "Otherwise  we  may 
all  take  a  tumble." 

He  had  hardly  spoken  when  a  sleigh  ran  up  on 
a  rock  on  one  side  and  plunged  into  a  hollow  on  the 
other.  In  a  twinkling  the  turnout  was  upset. 
Dave  felt  himself  pitched  out  and  rolled  over  and 
over  before  he  could  stop  himself.  Then  he  went 
down  and  down,  he  knew  not  whither.  His  hand 
touched  that  of  Roger,  and  instinctively  the  two 
chums  clung  to  each  other.  The  snow  filled  their 
eyes,  ears,  and  noses,  and  almost  smothered  them. 
They  saw  a  little  light,  and  then  suddenly  all  be- 
came pitch-dark  around  them. 

For  several  seconds  after  they  fell  neither  spoke, 
for  each  was  busy  collecting  his  scattered  senses. 
They  were  side  by  side  on  their  backs  and  the  snow 
was  still  all  around  them.  Dave  put  out  an  arm, 
felt  something  of  an  opening,  and  crawled  into  it. 

"Roger,  are  you  all  right?" 

"I — I  guess  so!"  came  in  a  spluttering  voice. 
"But  I  must  have  rolled  ov — er  a  hun — hundred 
times !" 

"So  did  I.  We  came  down  on  the  lightning 
express,  didn't  we?" 

"Where  are  we,  and  where  is  the  sleigh?" 

"Don't  ask  me.  We're  at  the  bottom  of  some 
place.  Come  here,  there  is  more  room  to  breathe." 

The  senator's  son  followed  Dave  into  the  open- 
ing the  latter  had  found.  All  was  so  dark 


SNOWBOUND  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS   207 

here  they  could  not  see  a  thing.  They  stood  close 
together,  fearing  to  take  another  step. 

"Hello !  hello  I"  yelled  Dave,  when  he  had  his 
breath  back,  and  Roger  quickly  joined  in  the  cry. 
To  their  consternation  there  was  no  answer. 

"Most  likely  the  others  went  down,  too,"  said 
Dave. 

"Then  they  ought  to  be  near  here." 

"Unless  they  slipped  clear  down  to  the  bottom 
of  the  mountain.  If  they  did  that  I  guess  it's 
good-bye  to  them." 

"Oh,  do  you  think  they've  been  killed,  Dave?" 

"I  don't  know  what  to  think.  Let  us  call 
again." 

They  did  so,  a  dozen  times  or  more.  But  no 
answer  came  back.  All  around  them  it  was  as 
silent  as  a  tomb. 

While  procuring  their  outfit  Dave  had  invested 
in  a  pocket  lantern,  and  this  he  now  brought  forth 
and  lit.  By  the  tiny  rays  he  made  out  that  they 
had  tumbled  into  a  hollow  between  several  large 
rocks,  over  which  the  snow  and  ice  hung  thickly. 
A  big  bank  of  snow  was  in  front  of  them  and  be- 
hind was  a  black-looking  space  of  uncertain  depth. 

"Roger,  I  must  confess,  I  don't  like  the  look  of 
things." 

"Don't  like  the  look  of  things?  Well,  I  guess 
not,  Dave!  How  are  we  ever  to  get  out?" 

"I  don't  know." 


208    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"But  we've  got  to  get  out  somehow,"  went  on 
the  senator's  son,  desperately.  "We  can't  stay 
here  forever." 

"Not  unless  this  place  becomes  our  tomb." 

"You  are  cheerful,  to  say  the  least,"  answered 
Roger,  with  a  shiver. 

"I  don't  intend  the  place  shall  be  my  tomb," 
went  on  Dave,  sturdily.  "I  am  going  to  get  out 
somehow.  Let  us  do  a  little  exploring." 

"What!  go  into  that  black  hole  behind  us? 
Why,  we  may  fall  into  a  bottomless  pit!" 

"Not  if  we  are  careful." 

"I  don't  want  to  take  any  more  chances — I've 
taken  enough." 

Dave  held  the  light  low  so  that  he  could  see 
where  he  was  going  and  walked  into  the  opening 
behind  him  for  a  couple  of  rods.  Roger  followed 
very  gingerly,  for  he  did  not  want  to  be  left  be- 
hind. The  opening  proved  to  be  a  cave  in  the 
mountain  side  and  the  roof  and  flooring  were  of 
almost  solid  rock.  Walking  was  very  rough,  and 
they  could  not  tell  how  far  the  cave  extended  or 
in  what  direction. 

"I  am  going  to  call  again,"  said  Roger,  and 
going  back  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave  they  set  up 
as  strong  a  cry  as  before.  At  first  they  fancied 
somebody  answered  them,  but  then  all  became 
silent. 

"Nothing  doing,"  murmured  the  senator's  son, 


SNOWBOUND  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS   209 

and  his  face  took  on  a  look  of  deep  anxiety. 
"Dave "  He  stopped  short. 

"What?" 

"Nothing,  only — do  you  really  think  the  others 
were  killed?" 

"Let  us  hope  not,"  was  Dave's  grave  reply. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

LEFT   IN   THE   DARK 

THE  thought  that  their  two  companions  might 
possibly  have  been  killed  by  the  toppling  over  of 
the  sleigh  filled  Dave  and  Roger  with  fresh  horror, 
and  for  several  minutes  neither  of  the  youths  spoke. 
They  listened  for  some  sound,  but  none  came. 
Then  Roger  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

"Perhaps  we  had  better  try  to  climb  out,"  he 
suggested,  timidly. 

"I've  thought  of  that,  Roger.  But  what  if  we 
slip  when  we  get  out?  Why,  the  bottom  of  the 
valley  is  quarter  of  a  mile  further  down.  I  don't 
want  such  a  tumble,  on  top  of  the  one  we  have 
already  experienced." 

"If  we  ever  get  out  we'll  have  plenty  of  news 
to  send  home,"  was  the  senator's  son's  comment. 

"True;  but  let  us  get  out  before  we  think  of 
sending  news." 

They  talked  the  matter  over,  and  at  length 
concluded  to  do  a  little  more  exploring  of  the  cave. 
Dave  turned  up  the  pocket  lantern  as  high  as 
possible,  and  as  he  did  this  Roger  took  from  his 
pocket  a  short,  strong  cord. 

210 


LEFT  IN  THE  DARK  211 

"I  thought  this  might  come  in  useful,  for  tying 
up  our  supplies,"  explained  the  senator's  son,  "so 
I  brought  it  from  the  last  house  we  stopped  at. 
Tie  one  end  around  your  "waist,  Dave,  and  I  will 
hold  fast  to  the  other  end.  Then  I'll  walk  behind 
you,  and  if  you  go  into  a  hole " 

"I  may  drag  you  behind  me,"  finished  Dave. 

"No,  I'll  look  out  for  that, — only  be  as  careful 
as  you  can." 

"I'll  take  no  more  risks  than  are  necessary." 

They  moved  forward  slowly  and  cautiously, 
first  to  one  side  of  the  cavern  and  then  to  the  other. 
At  last  they  struck  what  appeared  to  be  a  passage- 
way running  parallel  to  the  mountain  side. 

"Let  us  follow  this,"  suggested  Dave.  "It  may 
bring  us  out  somewhere  on  the  road." 

Roger  was  willing  to  do  anything  his  chum  sug- 
gested. It  was  a  hard  journey,  over  rocks  that 
were  sharp  and  slippery.  In  some  spots  they 
found  a  coating  of  ice  and  above  their  heads  long 
icicles  hanging  from  the  roofing.  Roger  slipped 
and  fell  and  came  down  with  such  a  jar  that  a  great 
icicle  weighing  at  least  twenty  pounds  came  down 
close  to  his  head,  smashing  into  many  pieces  and 
scattering  over  both  him  and  Dave. 

"Hi!  look  out!"  cried  Dave.  "If  we  got  one 
of  those  on  our  heads " 

His  voice  echoed  loudly  throughout  the  cave, 
and  then  down  came  two  more  icicles,  one  hitting 


212    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

his  shoulder.  He  was  thoroughly  alarmed  and 
leaped  to  a  spot  beyond,  literally  dragging  Roger 
with  him. 

"That  was  a  close  shave!"  murmured  the  sena- 
tor's son.  "Dave,  this  spot  is  full  of  perils!" 

On  they  went  once  more,  until  Dave  was  almost 
certain  he  saw  some  sort  of  an  opening  ahead  of 
them.  He  pointed  it  out;  and  just  then  the  tiny 
light  of  the  pocket  lantern  began  to  flicker. 

"Dave,  the  light  is  going  out!" 

"I  know  it." 

"Can't  you  turn  it  up  a  bit?" 

"No;  the  oil  is  gone,"  was  the  answer,  after 
Dave  had  shaken  the  lantern  to  make  certain  of 
that  fact. 

"What  will  we  do  if  we  are  left  in  the  dark?" 

"Hurry;  I  think  we  can  reach  that  opening — if 
it  is  an  opening." 

They  ran,  and  as  they  did  so  the  lantern  flick- 
ered up  for  the  last  time  and  went  out.  Then 
Dave  stopped  short  and  Roger  clung  to  him. 

"Don't  stop  here,  Dave !" 

"I  won't — but  we  must  go  slow,  or  we'll  knock 
our  heads  on  a  rock  or  on  the  icicles." 

They  advanced  with  all  the  caution  they  could 
command.  Each  was  filled  with  a  nameless  dread, 
for  if  there  was  no  opening  ahead  what  should  they 
do  ?  To  go  back  the  way  they  had  come  was  next 
to  impossible  in  the  dark. 


LEFT  IN  THE  DARK  213 

A  dozen  steps,  and  both  went  down  in  a  hollow, 
Roger  rolling  on  top  of  his  chum.  The  spot  was 
like  a  huge  washbowl,  and  all  of  the  sides  were 
covered  with  ice.  They  tried  to  scramble  out, 
only  to  slip  back  over  and  over  again. 

"This  is  the  limit!"  cried  Roger,  desperately. 

"If  we Oh,  wait !"  He  felt  in  his  pocket. 

"Hurrah!" 

"What  is  it?" 

"I've  got  five  matches.  I'm  going  to  light 
one." 

"Make  it  last  as  long  as  possible,"  was  Dave's 
advice. 

The  match  was  ignited  and  the  boys  gazed 
around  the  hollow.  Dave  found  some  bits  of 
projecting  rocks  and  pulled  himself  up,  and  Roger 
came  behind,  the  match  burning  itself  out  in  the 
meanwhile.  Then  they  pushed  on,  until  they 
presently  came  to  an  opening  through  which  the 
snow  came  down. 

"Out  at  last !"  murmured  Dave.  "I  am  thank- 
ful for  that!" 

"We  have  reached  the  open  air,  but  we  are  not 
out  of  our  difficulty,"  returned  the  senator's  son. 
"I  can't  see  anything  of  the  road,  can  you?" 

"Not  yet,  but  it  must  be  somewhere  in  the 
neighborhood,  for  we  went  upward  in  the  cave." 

They  had  come  out  at  a  point  where  there  was 
a  small  table-land,  which  the  wind  of  the  night  be- 


2i4    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

fore  had  swept  almost  clear  of  snow.     Below  was 
the  valley  and  above  them  a  patch  of  firs. 

"That's  the  forest,"  said  Dave,  pointing  up- 
ward. "The  road  runs  through  there.  I  think 
the  place  where  we  took  the  tumble  is  over  yon- 
der." 

"Let  us  call  to  the  others  again." 

Once  more  they  raised  their  voices,  and  from  a 
distance  came  an  answering  call  from  Granbury 
Lapham. 

"Where  is  he?"  queried  Roger.  "I  can't  see 
anything  through  this  snow." 

"Neither  can  I." 

They  called  again,  and  at  last  made  out  that  the 
Englishman  was  above  them.  Then  they  said 
they  were  going  to  try  to  get  to  him  and  com- 
menced the  struggle.  It  was  a  hard  task,  and 
took  not  only  their  strength  but  also  their  breath. 
They  could  not  see  the  man,  and  it  was  only  by 
continual  calling  they  finally  located  him. 

"We  all  took  a  great  tumble,  don't  you  know !" 
cried  Granbury  Lapham.  "Were  you  hurt?" 

"Not  enough  to  mention,"  answered  Dave. 
"Where  is  the  sleigh  driver?" 

"He  tried  to  stop  the  horses,  I  think.  They  ran 
away  after  the  sleigh  turned  over.  I  wanted  to 
help  and  the  first  thing  I  knew  I  went  down, 
too." 

"Do  you  know  where  the  road  is?"  asked  Roger. 


LEFT  IN  THE  DARK  215 

"Not  far  above  us.  But  I  slipped  back  several 
times  trying  to  get  to  it." 

Now  was  no  time  to  compare  notes,  and  all  three 
started  to  ascend  the  mountain  side  to  where  they 
thought  the  road  must  be  located.  As  they  could 
not  get  up  the  icy  slopes  they  pushed  on  to  where 
there  was  a  stunted  growth  of  pines.  Here,  by 
clinging  to  one  tree  after  another,  they  at  last 
reached  a  point  where  trudging  through  the  snow 
became  comparatively  easy. 

"I  got  a  pretty  bad  scare  when  I  came  down  the 
mountain  side,"  said  Granbury  Lapham,  when 
they  stopped  to  rest.  "A  bear  came  along  not 
more  than  fifty  feet  in  front  of  me." 

"A  bear!"  cried  the  two  boys,  simultaneously. 

"Yes,  and  a  mighty  big  fellow,  too,  I  can  tell 
you." 

"What  did  you  do?" 

"I  felt  for  my  pistol,  but  it  was  gone — I  must 
have  dropped  it  in  the  snow  when  I  tumbled.  At 
first  I  thought  the  beast  would  attack  me,  but  he 
gave  one  look  and  then  jumped  away  in  the  snow — 
and  that's  the  last  I  saw  or  heard  of  him." 

Both  of  the  boys  felt  instinctively  for  their 
weapons  and  were  glad  to  learn  that  they  were 
safe. 

"I  don't  want  to  see  any  bears,"  observed  Dave. 
"All  I  want  is  to  go  on  and  join  my  father." 

"And  all  I  want  to  do  is  to  find  my  brother," 


216    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

answered  Granbury  Lapham.  "I  sincerely  trust 
they  are  safe." 

"We  all  hope  for  that,"  answered  the  senator's 
son. 

By  the  time  they  gained  the  mountain  road  it 
had  stopped  snowing,  so  that  they  could  see  a  fair 
distance  ahead  and  behind.  Dave  gave  a  long 
look  in  advance. 

"There  is  something,"  he  said.  "I  think  it 
must  be  our  turnout." 

"It  certainly  is  the  sleigh,"  said  Roger,  a  minute 
later.  "But  it  is  still  turned  over." 

"Yes,  and  the  two  front  horses  are  gone," 
added  the  Englishman. 

As  tired  as  they  were,  they  pressed  forward  with 
all  possible  speed,  and  soon  came  up  to  the  over- 
turned sleigh,  with  its  scattered  outfit.  Some  of 
their  goods  had  gone  down  the  mountain  side  out 
of  sight  and  the  rest  were  covered  with  snow. 
The  horses  were  nervous  and  on  the  point  of  dash- 
ing off,  so  that  Dave  had  to  go  to  their  heads  to 
^fluiet  them. 

"Do  you  know  what  I  think?"  said  the  boy. 
)"The  front  team  broke  loose  somehow,  and  Hen- 
{Idrik  has  gone  after  them." 

"Well,  I  hope  he  catches  'em  and  brings  'em 
back,"  answered  Roger. 

They  unhooked  the  team  attached  to  the  sleigh 
and  tied  them  to  the  nearest  tree,  some  distance  off. 


LEFT  IN  THE  DARK  217 

Then  all  hands  got  at  the  heavy  turnout  and 
righted  it  and  cleaned  it  out.  This  done,  they  put 
in  the  robes  and  all  they  could  find  of  their  belong- 
ings. Thus  an  hour  went  by. 

"Hendrik  doesn't  seem  to  be  coming  back,"  said 
Dave.  "Perhaps  those  horses  went  a  long  dis- 
tance and  it  might  be  as  well  to  follow  them — if 
the  single  team  can  do  it." 

"Let  us  try  the  horses  that  are  left,  anyway," 
returned  Roger.  "We  can  let  Mr.  Lapham  drive 
while  we  walk  ahead  and  make  sure  of  the  road." 

They  hooked  up  with  care  and  the  Englishman 
took  the  reins.  It  was  all  the  two  animals  could 
do  to  start  the  sleigh,  for  the  road  was  slightly  up- 
ward for  quarter  of  a  mile.  But  then  it  ran  down- 
hill and  going  became  almost  too  easy. 

"They'll  be  running  away,  if  we  don't  look  out," 
said  Granbury  Lapham,  after  Dave  and  Roger  had 
jumped  in  on  the  rear  seat.  "There  doesn't  seem 
to  be  any  whoa  in  them." 

"Shall  I  drive?"  asked  Dave. 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  horses?  My 
knowledge  is  rather  limited." 

"Yes,  I  used  to  live  on  a  farm  when  I  was 
younger.  I'll  take  the  reins." 

Dave  started  to  step  from  the  rear  to  the  front 
seat  of  the  sleigh.  As  he  did  this  the  turnout 
reached  a  point  in  the  road  where  the  downgrade 
was  greater  than  ever.  Away  went  the  horses, 


218    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

taking  the  bits  in  their  teeth.  The  shock  threw 
Dave  backward  into  Roger's  lap. 

"Hi !  hi !"  yelled  Granbury  Lapham,  in  quick 
alarm.  "They  are  running  away !  Stop  them  I 
Whoa !  whoa !"  And  he  tugged  helplessly  at  the 
lines. 

The  steeds  paid  no  attention  to  the  command  to 
stop  and  the  pulling  on  the  reins  did  not  appear  to 
bother  them  in  the  least.  On  and  on  the  down- 
grade of  the  mountain  road  they  bounded,  causing 
the  sleigh  to  bounce  from  one  side  to  the  other. 
They  were  certainly  running  away,  and  to  the 
occupants  of  the  sleigh  it  looked  as  if  each  moment 
might  bring  a  smash  that  would  terminate  fatally. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE    BURGOMASTER    OF    MASOLGA 

GR ANBURY  LAPHAM  had  had  practically  no 
experience  with  horses  and  in  the  present  trying 
emergency  he  was  as  helpless  as  an  infant.  He 
sawed  this  way  and  that  on  the  reins,  and  yelled  at 
the  top  of  his  lungs.  This  merely  served  to 
frighten  the  steeds  still  more,  and  away  they  sprang 
at  a  greater  speed  than  ever. 

"We'll  be  killed!"  gasped  Roger.  He  stood 
up,  pale  with  fright. 

"Don't  jump  out!"  cried  Dave.  "Maybe  I  can 
stop  them." 

As  quickly  as  he  could,  he  gained  the  front  seat 
of  the  turnout  and  took  the  reins  from  the  English- 
man's hands.  He  saw  at  once  that  the  horses  had 
the  bits  in  their  teeth  and  that  pulling  on  the  lines 
would  do  little  if  any  good. 

By  this  time  they  had  gained  a  level  stretch  of 
road,  but  ahead  was  a  decline  greater  than  that 
just  passed.  If  they  reached  that  spot  an  accident 
would  be  inevitable. 

On  one  side  of  the  road  was  the  upward  slope 
219 


220    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

of  the  hill,  on  the  other  the  treacherous  downward 
slope  that  had  already  caused  them  so  much 
trouble.  Dave  hesitated  for  a  moment,  then 
pulled  on  one  side  of  the  reins  with  might 
and  main,  allowing  the  other  side  to  drop  en- 
tirely. 

At  first  the  horses  did  not  heed,  but  presently 
one  began  to  lose  temper  and  courage  and  turned  in 
toward  the  upward  slope.  Then  the  other  had  to 
come  around,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  team  was 
literally  climbing  the  mountain  side,  dragging 
sleigh  and  occupants  behind  them ! 

"Look  out!  We'll  all  go  over!"  cried  the 
senator's  son. 

"Hold  tight;  they're  bound  to  stop  soon,  they 
can't  keep  this  up !"  yelled  back  Dave,  and  even  as 
he  spoke  the  horses,  blowing  heavily,  slackened  up, 
came  to  a  walk,  and  then  stopped  short. 

"Really,  don't  you  know "  began  Granbury 

Lapham,  and  knew  not  what  to  say. 

"Now  you  can  get  out,  if  you  wish,"  said  Dave, 
and  gathered  up  both  reins  once  more.  "I  guess 
they  have  had  their  fill  of  running  away." 

"You  turned  them  up  the  hill  nicely." 

"It  was  a  hard  pull,"  said  Roger.  "Dave,  are 
you  going  to  get  out?"  he  added,  as  he  hopped  to 
the  ground. 

"No,  I  am  going  to  turn  them  around  and  drive 
them  down  to  the  road." 


THE  BURGOMASTER  OF  MASOLGA    221 

"They'll  run  away  with  you!"  ejaculated  the 
Englishman,  in  alarm. 

"I  won't  give  them  a  chance,"  was  the  quiet  but 
firm  reply. 

"If  you  are  going  to  ride,  I'll  do  the  same,"  said 
Roger,  and  clambered  back  to  his  seat  again. 
Granbury  Lapham  said  he  would  walk  for  a 
while. 

"I  want  to  see  how  they  act,"  he  remarked, 
frankly.  "I  am  not  going  to  risk  my  neck  again 
until  I  know  what  I  am  doing." 

With  a  firm  hand  Dave  started  the  horses  and 
turned  them  partly  around.  They  were  inclined 
to  be  fretful,  but  he  gave  them  no  chance  to  gain 
the  mastery.  He  spoke  to  them  in  a  voice  they 
could  not  help  but  notice,  and  was  ready  to  turn 
them  up  the  mountain  side  again  at  the  first  indica- 
tion of  another  "break." 

"Dave,  you  certainly  know  how  to  manage 
horses,"  spoke  up  Roger,  when  the  road  was 
reached.  "It  must  be  born  in  you." 

"I  suppose  it  is,  Roger.  My  Uncle  Dunston 
tells  me  that  my  father  is  a  very  good  horseman 
and  that  he  and  my  mother  used  often  to  go  out 
horseback  riding  together." 

Seeing  how  well  Dave  managed,  Granbury  Lap- 
ham  entered  the  sleigh  once  more,  and  away  they 
went  along  the  road  and  down  the  decline  pre- 
viously mentioned.  To  retard  the  movement  of 


222    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

the  turnout  and  thus  ease  the  team,  Dave  kept 
partly  in  the  deep  snow,  and  consequently  there 
was  no  excuse  for  the  horses  running  away. 

Nearly  a  mile  was  covered  when  they  saw  Hen- 
drik  returning  with  the  other  team.  The  Nor- 
wegian sleigh  driver  hailed  their  approach  with 
joy,  which  was  considerably  increased  when  he 
learned  that  the  sleigh  and  the  other  horses  had 
suffered  no  damage  and  that  the  greater  part  of 
the  outfit  had  been  saved. 

"I  was  afraid  somebody  had  fallen  down  the 
mountain  side  and  been  killed,"  said  he  to  Gran- 
bury  Lapham.  "It  is  a  most  dangerous  portion  of 
this  road.  Last  winter  two  men  and  a  woman 
lost  their  lives  close  to  this  very  spot." 

"We  had  all  the  trouble  we  wanted,"  said  Dave, 
when  the  driver's  remarks  had  been  translated  by 
the  Englishman. 

Hendrik  looked  over  the  sleigh  and  the  harness 
with  care,  and  quarter  of  an  hour  later  they  were 
moving  toward  Bojowak  as  rapidly  as  the  state  of 
the  road  permitted.  They  had  to  pass  through 
two  hollows,  and  here  the  men  and  boys  walked, 
for  it  was  all  the  double  team  could  do  to  get 
through. 

"I  see  smoke!"  cried  Dave,  presently.  "It 
seems  to  come  from  a  chimney." 

"Bojowak,"  said  the  sleigh  driver,  nodding  his 
head. 


THE  BURGOMASTER  OF  MASOLGA    223 

"Hurrah  !  We'll  soon  be  there  1"  cried  Roger. 
He  looked  at  his  chum.  "You  won't  be  sorry, 
Dave?" 

"No,  indeed,"  was  the  ready  answer. 

They  had  to  pass  around  a  spur  of  the  mountain, 
which  took  another  half-hour,  and  then  came  in 
full  view  of  Bojowak,  a  village,  the  houses,  or 
rather  cabins,  of  which  seemed  to  fairly  cling  to 
the  side  of  the  mountain.  There  was  but  one 
street,  and  most  of  the  residences  were  located  on 
the  upper  side  of  this,  with  barns  and  sheds  below 
or  attached  to  the  dwellings. 

Their  arrival  was  noted  with  considerable 
curiosity,  and  the  sleigh  driver  was  plied  with 
innumerable  questions  as  to  what  had  brought  him 
thus  far  in  such  weather.  He  quickly  explained, 
and  then  asked  concerning  the  exploring  expedi- 
tion, and  Granbury  Lapham  asked  a  number  of 
similar  questions. 

"The  expedition  left  Bojowak  two  days  ago," 
said  the  Englishman,  after  he  had  learned  the 
news.  "It  moved  on  to  a  sheep-station  called 
Plivohav,  six  miles  from  here.  From  Plivohav 
the  party  was  going  to  try  to  reach  the  top  of  the 
mountain  called  Thundercap." 

"Is  there  any  kind  of  a  good  road  to  Plivohav?" 
asked  Dave,  eagerly. 

"No,  it  is  a  very  poor  road." 

"Then  we  can't  use  the  sleigh?" 


224    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"No,  we'll  have  to  go  there  either  on  foot  or  on 
horseback.  The  explorers  used  horses." 

"Oh,  let  us  go  on  horseback!"  urged  Roger. 
"I  don't  want  to  walk." 

"I  certainly  prefer  riding,"  added  Dave. 

"I'm  not  much  in  a  saddle,  but  I  fancy  I  can 
stand  it,"  said  Granbury  Lapham.  "We  can  take 
Hendrik  with  us,  and  as  we  have  four  steeds  that 
will  give  each  of  us  a  mount." 

Dave  was  desirous  of  going  ahead  at  once,  but 
it  was  too  late,  and  the  horses  were  so  worn  out,  it 
was  decided  to  remain  at  Bojowak  over  night. 
There  was  something  of  a  road-house,  used  prin- 
cipally during  the  summer,  and  at  this  they  asked 
for  accommodations  for  the  whole  party  and  also 
for  the  horses. 

"I  think  I  can  accommodate  you,"  said  the  land- 
lord, a  burly  and  rather  rough-looking  Norwegian. 
"Wait  till  I  call  my  wife  and  see  what  rooms  are 
vacant.  We  have  quite  a  number  of  guests.  The 
burgomaster  of  Masolga  is  here  with  his  brother 
and  his  wife.  They,  too,  came  in  all  this 
storm." 

The  landlord  went  out,  leaving  the  two  Amer- 
ican boys  and  the  Englishman  in  the  public  room 
of  the  road-house.  Scarcely  had  he  departed  when 
a  side  door  opened  and  a  man  came  in,  evidently 
not  in  the  best  of  humor. 

"You  dog  of  a  landlord!"  he  cried,  in  Norwe- 


THE  BURGOMASTER  OF  MASOLGA    225 

gian.  "Where  are  you?  My  room  is  as  cold  as 
a  barn.  I  want  some  extra  wood  put  on  the  fire 
at  once.  This  is  a  scurvy  way  to  treat  the  burgo- 
master of  Masolga." 

"Hello!"  cried  Dave,  in  a  low  voice,  and 
plucked  his  chum  by  the  sleeve.  "Here  is  the 
brute  of  the  railway  coach." 

"Sure  enough,"  murmured  the  senator's  son. 
"I  never  thought  we'd  meet  him  up  here.  Won- 
der if  he'll  say  anything  if  he  sees  us?" 

"Humph!  so  he's  the  burgomaster  of  Masolga, 
eh?"  muttered  Granbury  Lapham.  "I  pity  the 
townfolks  under  him." 

"I  say,  do  you  hear,  landlord?"  stormed  the 
burgomaster,  striding  around.  "Are  you  deaf, 
that  I  must  wear  my  lungs  out  calling  you?  If  I 
had-  Ha!" 

He  stopped  short,  for  his  striding  around  had 
brought  him  face  to  face  with  our  friends.  He 
was  astonished,  then  glared  at  the  three  as  if  they 
were  deadly  enemies. 

"You !"  he  cried.  "You !  What  brought  you 
to  this  place?  Are  you  following  me?" 

"We  are  not  following  you,"  answered  the 
Englishman. 

"I  thought  I  was  done  with  you !  That  I  would 
never  behold  any  of  you  again !"  went  on  the  bur- 
gomaster. "You  are  English  cattle." 

"And   you    are   a    Norwegian   pig,"    answered 


226    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Granbury  Lapham.  His  English  blood  could  not 
stand  the  insult. 

"Ha!  this  to  me?  Me!  the  burgomaster  of 
Masolga !"  The  speaker  stamped  violently  on 
the  floor  with  his  heavy  boot.  "You  shall  pay  for 
that  insult !  A  pig !  I  will  show  you !" 

"You  started  the  quarrel,  I  did  not,"  said  the 
Englishman.  He  was  a  trifle  alarmed  over  the 
turn  affairs  had  taken. 

"Are  you  stopping  here?"  demanded  the  burgo- 
master, after  an  ugly  pause. 

"We  expect  to  stop  here." 

"It  shall  not  be — I  will  not  have  you  in  the 
house  with  me!  Such  English  cattle!  Hi,  you, 
Mina !" — this  to  a  servant  who  had  come  in. 
"Call  your  master  at  once,  I  must  see  him." 

The  servant  departed,  her  wooden  shoes  clatter- 
ing loudly  on  the  bare  floor.  The  burgomaster  of 
Masolga  paced  up  and  down,  slapping  his  hands 
together. 

"I  will  show  you  your  place !"  he  muttered,  with 
a  malicious  look  on  his  face.  "Wait!  Yes, 
wait!" 

In  a  moment  more  the  landlord  came  in,  almost 
out  of  breath. 

"A  thousand  pardons !"  he  said,  bowing  low. 
"It  was  stupid  of  Jan  to  let  the  fire  burn  low.  I 
have  ordered  more  wood,  and " 

"Let  that  pass,  for  the  present,"  answered  the 


THE  BURGOMASTER  OF  MASOLGA    227 

burgomaster.  "It  is  about  these  fellows  I  want 
to  question  you.  Have  they  engaged  rooms 
here?" 

"They  want  rooms,  sir,  and  we  have  two 
that " 

"You  must  not  take  them  in !"  roared  the  burgo- 
master of  Masolga.  "I  forbid  it." 

"Forbid?"  gasped  the  astonished  landlord. 

"Yes,  forbid.  They  are  nothing  but  English 
cattle.  I  met  them  on  the  train.  They  insulted 
me  grossly,  They  must  go  elsewhere  for  accom- 
modations." 

"Have  you  two  vacant  rooms?"  demanded 
Granbury  Lapham,  coming  to  the  front. 

"Yes,  but— but- 

"We'll  take  them,"  answered  the  Englishman, 
quickly.  He  felt  certain  no  other  accommodations 
could  be  had  in  the  village. 

"Thank  you,  sir,  but " 

"He  cannot  have  the  rooms — I  will  take  them 
myself !"  howled  the  burgomaster. 

'"I  have  already  taken  them,"  answered  the 
Englishman,  quietly.  "I  will  pay  in  advance  for 
them,  if  necessary,"  and  he  pulled  out  his  purse. 

"It  shall  not  be!"  stormed  the  burgomaster  of 
Masolga.  "I  forbid  it!  I  will  pay  for  the 
rooms,  if  needs  be.  Those  English  cattle  shall  not 
sleep  under  the  same  roof  with  me  and  my 
family." 


CHAPTER  XXV 

TO  THE    NORTHWARD   ONCE   MORE 

"WHAT'S  the  trouble  about?"  asked  Dave,  com- 
ing forward. 

"That  brute  doesn't  want  us  to  stay  here,"  ex- 
plained Granbury  Lapham.  "He  forbids  the 
landlord  renting  us  rooms." 

"Are  there  any  rooms  vacant?"  questioned 
Roger. 

"Two." 

"We'll  take  them!"  cried  Dave.  "He  can't 
stop  us." 

"I've  already  said  I'd  take  them.  But  the  bur- 
gomaster won't  listen  to  it." 

"The  landlord  has  got  to  let  us  have  the  rooms," 
said  Dave.  "If  his  place  is  a  public  road-house  we 
are  entitled  to  accommodations,  and  at  the  legal 
rate " 

"By  Jove,  you're  right!  How  stupid  of  me  to 
forget!"  cried  the  Englishman.  He  turned  to 
the  landlord.  "I  demand  those  rooms,"  he  said, 
in  Norwegian.  "That  man  shall  not  keep  us  out 
of  your  place.  It  is  a  public  house.  I  demand 
my  rights." 

33d 


"Out  with  the  lot  of  them!     I  will  take  the  rooms." 
Page  229. 


TO  THE  NORTHWARD  ONCE  MORE    229 
"Yes!    yes!"    replied    the    landlord.        "But, 


sir- 


"Ha !  Do  not  listen  to  him,  Voshof,"  said  the 
burgomaster.  "Who  is  more  important  here,  he 
or  I?  Out  with  the  lot  of  them !  I  will  take  the 
rooms,  and  if  every  apartment  is  occupied,  why  you 
cannot  accommodate  them,  can  you?" 

"Here  is  my  money,"  said  Granbury  Lapham. 
He  placed  several  silver  thalers  on  the  table.  "I 
believe  you  know  the  law.  If  you  do  not,  my 
friends  and  I  do." 

The  landlord  was  in  a  quandary.  Ordinarily 
he  would  have  sided  with  the  burgomaster  of  Ma- 
solga,  but  there  were  several  considerations  which 
made  him  pause.  In  the  first  place,  he  did  not 
like  the  burgomaster,  for  he  was  very  dictatorial 
and  few  things  at  the  inn  suited  him  and  his  party; 
in  the  second  place,  the  foreigners  usually  paid 
liberally  for  what  they  got,  generous  "tips"  were 
not  withheld;  and  lastly,  and  this  was  equally  im- 
portant, the  landlord  had  once  refused  a  man  a 
room  when  he  was  by  law  entitled  to  accommoda- 
tions and  he  had  been  fined  for  the  offense.  He 
did  not  want  to  be  dragged  into  court  again,  for 
his  license  might  possibly  be  taken  from  him. 

"He  pays  for  the  rooms,  I  am  helpless,"  said 
the  landlord,  taking  up  the  thalers.  "I  will  see  to 
it  that  you  are  not  molested  by  any  one,"  he  added, 
gravely. 


230    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

At  this  the  burgomaster  stormed  and  raved, 
calling  Granbury  Lapham  a  number  of  hard 
names.  The  Englishman  would  not  stand  such  in- 
sults, and  rushing  up  he  caught  the  Norwegian 
official  by  the  arm.  ; 

"Stop  I"  he  cried.  "Any  more  such  words, 
and  I  will  knock  you  down.  My  friends  and  I  did 
not  come  here  to  be  insulted.  We  are  gentlemen, 
and  we  expect  to  be  treated  as  such.  Landlord,  I 
look  to  you  for  protection  while  under  your  roof." 

"There  must  be  no  quarreling  here,"  said  the 
landlord.  "The  law  does  not  allow  it."  He 
paused  for  an  instant.  "I  will  show  you  gentle- 
men to  your  rooms."  He  turned  to  the  burgo- 
master of  Masolga.  "Your  fire  shall  be  attended 
to  immediately." 

"I  shall  remember  this!"  cried  the  burgomaster, 
quivering  with  rage.  "I  shall  remember  it!  I 
shall  never  come  here  again!"  And  he  stormed 
from  the  room. 

"He  is  a  very  passionate  man,"  said  the  land- 
lord, when  he  was  alone  with  our  friends.  "I  do 
not  care  if  he  stays  away.  He  is  poor  pay  and  he 
wants  too  much  for  his  money." 

"We  shall  pay  you  well  if  you  treat  us  fairly," 
answered  Granbury  Lapham,  and  slipped  an  extra 
thaler  into  the  inn-keeper's  ready  hand. 

"Depend  upon  me  to  do  my  best,  sir,"  was  the 
quick  answer,  and  then  the  travelers  were  shown 


TO  THE  NORTHWARD  ONCE  MORE    231 

to  two  connecting  rooms,  plainly  but  comfortably 
furnished.  One  had  a  broad  fireplace,  and  in  this 
a  roaring  fire  was  soon  blazing.  That  there  might 
be  no  further  trouble  they  were  served  with  supper 
in  a  private  dining-room;  so  they  saw  practically 
nothing  more  of  the  hot-headed  and  unreasonable 
burgomaster  of  Masolga. 

"We  have  to  thank  you  for  getting  through  in 
this  instance,"  said  Dave,  warmly,  to  Granbury 
Lapham.  '"I  realize  now  we  should  have  been  at 
a  tremendous  disadvantage  had  Roger  and  I 
undertaken  this  trip  alone — neither  of  us  be- 
ing able  to  speak  more  than  a  few  words  of  the 
language." 

"I  am  glad  I  fell  in  with  you,"  was  the  English- 
man's reply.  "'Twould  have  been  mighty  lonely 
without  you,  don't  you  know." 

Despite  the  adventures  through  which  they  had 
passed,  the  young  Americans  slept  soundly  that 
night  and  did  not  awaken  until  eight  in  the  morn- 
ing. It  was  cold  and  cheerless,  no  sun  showing  in 
the  sky,  and  there  was  a  promise  of  more  snow  in 
the  air. 

A  good  breakfast  was  procured,  and  they  settled 
with  the  landlord  and  "tipped"  him  in  a  fashion 
that  made  him  bow  almost  to  the  ground. 

"Come  again,  and  welcome,  sirs,"  he  said. 
"And  do  not  mind  what  the  burgomaster  said. 
More  than  likely  he  will  soon  lose  his  position,  for 


232    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

many  people  are  dissatisfied  with  him,  and  he  is 
exceedingly  slow  in  settling  his  debts." 

They  were  soon  on  horseback,  the  sleigh  having 
been  put  away  under  one  of  the  sheds.  Hendrik 
led  the  way,  past  the  village  and  then  to  what  was 
little  better  than  a  mountain  trail,  winding  in  and 
out  through  several  patches  of  firs  and  then  across 
some  rough  rocks.  At  the  latter  spot  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  ice,  and  once  Roger's  horse  went 
down,  carrying  his  rider  with  him. 

"Are  you  hurt,  Roger?"  asked  Dave,  leaping 
down  to  his  chum's  assistance. 

"I  don't  think  so,"  was  the  reply  of  the  senator's 
son.  But  when  he  arose  he  drew  in  a  sharp 
breath.  "He  caught  my  left  ankle  and  I  reckon 
he  twisted  it  a  little." 

The  horse  was  gotten  up  and  Dave  assisted 
Roger  to  mount.  It  was  painful  to  stand  on  the 
injured  ankle,  but  Roger  said  it  was  all  right  when 
he  was  in  the  saddle. 

"Be  careful  after  this,"  said  Dave,  and  they 
were  cautious  at  every  spot  where  the  ice  showed 
itself. 

The  scenery  around  them  was  magnificent,  but 
it  was  such  a  gray  day  this  was  practically  lost  upon 
them.  They  were  going  steadily  upward  and  to 
the  north  of  Norway,  and  they  could  feel  the  air 
growing  colder.  Only  the  firs  stood  out  against 
the  sky ;  all  else  was  snow  and  ice. 


TO  THE  NORTHWARD  ONCE  MORE    233 

"This  is  winter  weather,  and  no  mistake,"  re- 
marked Roger.  "I  don't  know  that  I  want  to  go 
much  further  north." 

"How  desolate  it  is !"  said  Dave.  "Not  a  sign 
of  a  house  or  hut  anywhere !  It's  as  bad  as  being 
in  the  far  West  of  our  country  in  mid-winter." 

"Hark!  I  hear  bells!"  cried  Granbury  Lap- 
ham.  "Can  another  sleigh  be  coming?" 

They  looked  in  the  direction  from  whence  the 
sound  came,  and  presently  made  out  something 
moving  below  them,  on  a  road  in  the  valley. 

"I  really  believe  it  is  a  sled  with  a  reindeer  at- 
tached!" cried  Dave.  And  such  proved  to  be  the 
case.  But  before  they  could  get  a  good  look  at 
the  novel  turnout,  sled  and  reindeer  flashed  out  of 
sight. 

"I  shouldn't  mind  having  a  ride  behind  a  rein- 
deer myself,"  said  Dave,  as  they  resumed  their 
journey. 

"Nor  I,"  added  his  chum. 

At  the  end  of  three  hours  of  hard  traveling  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  sheep-station  for  which  they 
were  bound.  It  was  composed  of  a  log  cabin  and 
half  a  dozen  large  sheds,  surrounded  by  a  high 
fence.  Nobody  was  in  sight,  and  they  had  to  call 
several  times  before  the  care-taker  of  the  place  put 
in  an  appearance. 

"Have  you  a  party  of  strangers  here?"  ques- 
tioned Granbury  Lapham. 


234    DAVE  PORTER.  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Yes,"  was  the  answer,  "but  they  are  not  here 
just  now." 

"A  scientific  exploring  party?" 

"Yes." 

"Where  have  they  gone?" 

"They  started  this  morning  for  the  top  of  old 
Thundercap,"  said  the  sheep  raiser.  "They  will 
be  back  by  to-morrow  night." 

"Found  at  last,"  said  the  Englishman,  joyfully, 
and  translated  what  had  been  said  to  Dave  and 
Roger. 

"Back  to-morrow  night,"  murmured  Dave. 
His  heart  began  to  beat  rapidly.  "I  wish  they'd 
come  to-night.  I  can  hardly  wait." 

The  sheep  raiser  was  questioned  further,  and 
told  them  the  party  was  made  up  of  Mr.  Porter, 
Mr.  Lapham,  and  five  others,  including  a  Nor- 
wegian guide  named  Bjornhof.  He  said  they  had 
a  number  of  scientific  instruments  with  them,  and 
talked  of  gold  and  silver  and  other  precious  metals. 

"Maybe  they  are  trying  to  locate  a  mine,"  sug- 
gested Roger. 

"If  they  are,  I  fancy  they  will  be  disappointed," 
answered  Granbury  Lapham.  "Norway  has 
been  pretty  well  explored  for  minerals  and  the  best 
of  the  mines  have  been  located." 

"This  region  doesn't  look  as  if  it  had  been  ex- 
plored very  much,"  returned  Dave.  "It's  about 
as  wild  and  primitive  as  could  be." 


TO  THE  NORTHWARD  ONCE  MORE    235 

The  sheep-station  afforded  but  meager  accom- 
modations, and  they  were  glad  that  they  had 
brought  along  some  supplies.  There  was,  to  be 
sure,  plenty  of  mutton,  but  who  wanted  to  eat  that 
all  the  time? 

"I  don't  mind  lamb,"  said  the  senator's  son. 
"But  mutton,  especially  when  it  is  strong,  is  an- 
other matter." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,  as  Shadow 
Hamilton  would  say,"  said  Dave,  with  a  smile. 
''A  young  housewife  was  going  to  have  a  number  of 
her  husband's  friends  to  dinner,  and  her  husband 
told  her  to  get  a  big  leg  of  lamb  for  roasting.  So 
she  went  to  the  butcher.  'Give  me  a  leg  of  lamb,' 
she  said.  'I  want  a  very  large  one.  I  think  you 
had  better  give  it  to  me  from  a  lamb  four  or  five 
years  old.'  ' 

"And  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  another,"  an- 
swered the  senator's  son.  "A  country  boy  went  to 
town  and  there  saw  a  circus  parade  including  two 
camels.  When  he  got  back  home  he  told  his  folks 
that  the  parade  was  all  right,  but  he  thought  it 
was  a  shame  to  drive  around  such  long-necked, 
hump-backed  cows !" 

The  sheep  raiser  told  them  that  all  the  members 
of  the  exploring  party  were  in  excellent  health. 
He  said  one  of  the  men  resembled  Dave  very  much, 
and  smiled  broadly  when  told  the  man  was  the 
lad's  father.  When  Granbury  Lapham  added 


236    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

that  the  two  had  not  met  since  Dave  was  a  little 
fellow,  the  sheep  raiser  opened  his  eyes  wide  in 
astonishment. 

"'Tis  like  a  fairy  tale,"  said  he,  and  then  told 
them  several  fairy  tales  he  had  heard  when  a  boy. 
He  was  an  uneducated  man  and  his  life  was  ex- 
ceedingly simple,  and  the  fairy  tales  were,  con- 
sequently, very  wonderful  to  him. 

"Imagine  such  a  man  set  down  in  the  heart  of 
New  York  or  Chicago,"  observed  Roger.  "How 
his  eyes  would  open  and  how  he  would  stare  1" 

"If  you  told  him  of  all  the  wonders  of  the  big 
cities  he  wouldn't  believe  you,"  answered  Dave. 
"I  once  started  to  tell  one  of  those  natives  of  the 
South  Sea  Islands  about  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  and 
when  I  pointed  out  how  long  it  was,  and  said  it 
hung  in  mid-air,  he  shook  his  head  and  walked 
away,  and  I  know  he  thought  I  was  either  telling  a 
lie  or  was  crazy." 

The  day  passed  slowly,  especially  to  Dave,  who 
could  scarcely  wait  for  the  hour  to  arrive  when 
his  father  should  come  back.  What  a  meeting 
that  would  be !  It  made  the  tears  stand  in  his  eyes 
to  think  about  it. 

"Dear,  dear  father  1"  he  murmured  to  himself. 
"I  know  we  are  going  to  love  each  other  very,  very 
much  I" 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

DAYS  OF  WAITING 

WITH  the  coming  of  night  a  strong  wind  sprang 
up,  and  by  ten  o'clock  it  was  blowing  a  gale.  The 
wind  caused  the  house  to  rock  and  groan,  and  for 
the  travelers  sound  sleep  was  out  of  the  question. 
The  man  in  charge,  however,  had  experienced  such 
a  condition  of  affairs  before  and  did  not  appear  to 
mind  it. 

"Some  great  winds  here  at  times,"  he  said  to 
Granbury  Lapham.  "Once  the  top  of  the  house 
was  blown  off  and  sailed  away  down  into  the 
valley." 

"Excuse  me,  but  I  don't  want  to  be  here  at  such 
a  time,  don't  you  know,"  answered  the  English- 
man. 

The  wind  increased  steadily,  and  at  midnight  it 
was  blowing  so  furiously  that  Dave  thought  the 
shelter  might  go  over.  He  went  towards  the  door, 
to  find  a  quantity  of  snow  sifting  in  above  the  sill. 

"Hello,  it  must  be  snowing  again !"  he  re- 
marked. "That's  too  bad,  for  it  will  make  travel- 
ing worse  than  ever." 

237 


238    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

It  was  snowing,  and  the  downfall  continued 
all  night  and  half  of  the  next  day.  The  wind 
piled  it  up  against  the  house  until  it  reached  the 
roof,  burying  two  of  the  windows  completely  from 
sight. 

"This  is  a  regular  North  Pole  experience,"  re- 
marked Roger,  as  he  bustled  around  in  the  morn- 
ing, trying  to  get  warm.  UI  don't  know  that  I 
want  to  go  much  further  north." 

"Don't  want  to  become  an  arctic  explorer, 
then  ?"  queried  Granbury  Lapham. 

"Not  much!  Say,  stir  up  the  fire,  or  I'll  be 
frozen  stiff." 

Wood  was  piled  on  the  fire,  and  soon  a  pot  of 
steaming  coffee  made  all  feel  better.  When  the 
man  in  charge  went  out  to  look  at  the  sheep  in  the 
various  folds  Dave  went  with  him.  The  air  was 
filled  with  snow,  and  it  was  very  dark. 

"This  is  terrible,"  said  Dave,  on  returning.  He 
was  thinking  of  his  father  and  the  others  of  the 
exploring  party. 

"Land  of  the  Midnight  Sun,"  returned  the 
senator's  son,  laconically. 

"The  man  says  they'll  not  return  to-day,"  said 
Granbury  Lapham.  "It  would  not  be  safe  on  the 
mountain  trail." 

"I  thought  as  much,"  answered  Dave.  "Well, 
all  we  can  do,  I  suppose,  is  to  wait."  And  he 
heaved  a  deep  sigh. 


DAYS  OF  WAITING  239 

The  day  passed  slowly,  for  the  place  afforded 
nothing  in  the  way  of  amusement,  and  even  if  it 
had,  Dave  was  too  much  worried  about  his  father 
to  be  interested.  All  went  out  among  the  sheep 
and  saw  them  fed.  The  folds  were  long,  low,  and 
narrow,  and  the  occupants  huddled  together  "just 
like  a  flock  of  sheep,"  as  Roger  remarked  with  a 
grin. 

"What  timid  creatures  they  are,"  said  he,  a  little 
later.  "I  suppose  you  can  do  almost  anything 
with  them." 

"Not  with  the  rams,"  answered  Dave.  And 
then  he  went  on:  "Do  you  remember  Farmer  Cad- 
more's  ram  and  how  we  put  him  in  Job  Haskers' 
room?" 

"I  don't  believe  these  animals  are  quite  so  ugly," 
said  the  senator's  son,  and  went  up  to  one  of  the 
rams  in  question.  The  animal  backed  away  a  few 
feet,  then  of  a  sudden  it  leaped  forward,  lowered 
its  head,  and  sent  Roger  sprawling  on  his 
back. 

"Wow!"  grunted  the  youth.  "Ho!  chase  him 
off !"  And  he  lost  no  time  in  rolling  over  and  get- 
ting out  of  harm's  way.  "Gracious,  but  that  was 
a  crack  in  the  stomach,  all  right  I"  he  groaned. 

"He's  what  you  can  call  a  battering-ram,"  ob- 
served Dave. 

"Yes,  and  a  ram-bunctious  one  at  that." 

"Don't  ram-ble  in  your  talk,  Roger." 


240    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"If  he  goes  on  another  ram-page  I  won't  ram- 
ble, I'll  run." 

"Say,  this  joke  has  too  many  ram-ifications  for 
me,  let  us  drop  it,"  said  Dave,  and  with  a  merry 
laugh  both  lads  changed  the  subject. 

The  hours  dragged  by  slowly.  At  noon  they 
took  their  time  eating  a  meal  that  all  hands  pre- 
pared. Fortunately  they  had  with  them  a  few 
canned  goods,  which  gave  them  something  of  a 
change  in  their  diet. 

When  night  came  again  the  wind  arose  once 
more.  But  now  the  house  was  so  completely 
buried  in  the  snow  that  it  was  scarcely  touched. 
Dave  was  worn  out  and  slept  soundly,  and  the 
others  did  not  awaken  him  until  nearly  nine 
o'clock. 

"Any  news?"  was  his  first  question  on  arising. 

"Nothing,"  answered  Granbury  Lapham. 
"Porter,  I  am  growing  worried,"  he  added,  seri- 
ously. 

"I  think  we  have  good  cause  to  worry,  Mr.  Lap- 
ham.  It  is  no  joke  to  be  out  on  a  mountain  top  in 
such  weather  as  this." 

"The  man  here  tells  me  there  are  several  shel- 
ters up  there,  one  built  between  the  rocks  where 
the  wind  cannot  touch  it.  But  for  all  that  I  am 
worried." 

"Do  you  suppose  they  have  enough  food  with 
them?" 


DAYS  OF  WAITING  241 

"They  should  know  enough  to  go  well  sup- 
plied." 

All  of  that  day  and  the  next  went  by,  and  still 
nobody  appeared  at  the  sheep-station.  Another 
snowstorm  was  brewing,  and  when  it  came  the  air 
was  so  filled  with  it  that  nobody  could  venture  out- 
side. The  young  Americans  and  the  Englishman 
paced  the  floor  of  the  shelter  impatiently,  but  could 
do  nothing.  Their  food  was  limited,  and  the 
tobacco  for  Granbury  Lapham's  pipe  ran  low, 
which  caused  the  man  additional  trouble. 

"I  can  get  along  with  a  poor  meal,  but  I  must 
have  my  smoke,"  he  said. 

A  day  later  they  were  seated  around  the  fire  dis- 
cussing the  situation  when  Roger  gave  a  cry. 

"Well,  I  never!" 

"What's  up  now?"  asked  Dave. 

"Why,  we've  gotten  into  a  new  year  and  nobody 
ever  noticed  it!" 

"By  Jove,  that's  so!"  answered  Granbury  Lap- 
ham.  "Well,  here's  a  Happy  New  Year  to  all  of 
you." 

"A  poor  beginning  makes  a  good  ending,  they 
say,"  said  Dave.  "Let  us  hope  that  proves  true 
in  this  instance."  He  was  sorry  he  had  not  been 
in  a  position  to  send  New  Year  greetings  to  those 
at  home,  and  especially  to  Jessie. 

Sunday  passed  drearily,  and  also  Monday.  On 
Tuesday  it  began  to  clear  and  the  wind  dropped 


242    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

entirely.  Then  the  house  was  opened  and  they 
went  forth,  and  the  man  in  charge  busied  himself 
with  his  sheep.  Two  of  the  animals  had  died 
from  the  cold,  and  one  had  been  trampled  to  death 
in  the  huddling  together  to  keep  warm. 

"Thank  fortune,  the  horses  are  all  right,"  said 
Roger,  after  an  inspection. 

With  the  coming  of  comparatively  good  weather 
they  watched  eagerly  for  the  return  of  the  explor- 
ing party.  The  sheep-station  keeper  pointed  out 
to  them  where  the  mountain  trails  ran  and  told 
them  the  party  must  come  by  way  of  one  of  them, 
for  to  descend  in  any  other  manner  would  be  im- 
possible. 

"I  really  can't  see  how  they  are  going  to  get 
down  in  such  a  snow,"  was  Dave's  comment. 
"Why,  in  some  places  it  must  be  ten  feet  deep  or 


more." 


"The  wind  has  swept  some  places  clear,"  was 
Granbury  Lapham's  answer.  "Af  far  as  possible 
they'll  stick  to  those  cleared  spots." 

"It  must  be  fearfully  slippery,"  said  Roger. 

"And  if  any  of  them  takes  a  tumble "  He  did 

not  finish. 

The  day  was  coming  to  a  close  when  Dave,  who 
was  still  on  the  watch,  uttered  a  shout. 

"I  see  somebody,  up  on  yonder  trail !"  he  cried. 
"One,  two,  three  of  them !" 

"Only  three?"  queried  Granbury  Lapham. 


DAYS  OF  WAITING  243 

"That  is  all,  so  far." 

All  ran  out  and  looked  to  where  Dave  pointed. 
Three  men  were  coming  along  the  trail  slowly. 
Sometimes  they  would  be  in  snow  up  to  their 
waists,  and  then  again  they  could  be  seen  crawling 
cautiously  over  the  icy  rocks  which  had  been  swept 
clear  of  snow. 

"If  we  only  had  a  field-glass!"  murmured  Dave. 
He  wondered  if  one  of  the  men  could  be  his  father. 

The  men  were  only  in  sight  a  few  minutes,  then 
some  projecting  rocks  hid  them  from  view.  The 
man  in  charge  of  the  sheep-station  was  questioned, 
and  he  told  them  it  would  take  the  men  on  the 
mountain  a  good  two  hours  to  get  down  to  the 
house,  as  the  trail  wound  around  considerably  to 
avoid  several  dangerous  cliffs. 

"Let  us  go  out  to  meet  them,"  said  Dave.  "I 
can't  stand  this  hanging  around  doing  nothing." 

"All  right,  I'll  go  with  you,"  answered  his  chum. 

Granbury  Lapham  was  also  anxious;  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  three  started  out,  along  a  road  the 
sheep-station  keeper  pointed  out.  It  was  now 
dark,  but  they  kept  to  the  road  with  ease,  as  it  ran 
between  several  patches  of  stunted  pines. 

No  words  can  describe  the  feeling  that  filled 
Dave's  heart.  Was  he  to  meet  his  father  at  last? 
At  times  he  trembled  like  a  leaf  just  to  think  of  it. 

His  eyes  were  on  the  alert,  and  after  trudging 
along  for  half  an  hour  he  made  out  several  forms 


244    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

approaching  down  the  mountain  trail.  He  set  up 
a  shout  and  so  did  his  companions,  and  presently 
came  an  answering  call. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  two  parties  were  within 
speaking  distance.  Dave  gave  each  of  the  three 
newcomers  a  searching  look,  and  his  heart  sank. 
Not  one  of  them  was  his  father. 

The  three  men  were  the  Norwegian  guide  and 
two  individuals  named  Hausermann  and  Davis. 
They  were  almost  exhausted  by  their  journey,  and 
begged  to  be  conducted  to  the  sheep-station 
and  given  something  to  eat  before  telling  their 
story. 

"But  my  brother — what  of  him?"  demanded 
Granbury  Lapham. 

"Who  is  your  brother?"  asked  Samuel  Hauser- 
mann. 

"Philip  Lapham,  the  head  of  this  expedition." 

"Oh,  so  you  are  Philip's  brother.  Well,  he  is 
safe — at  least  he  was  when  we  left  him.  He  hurt 
his  knee  a  little,  slipping  over  some  rocks,  but  it 
didn't  amount  to  much." 

"And  what  of  my  father,  David  Porter?"  put 
in  Dave,  anxiously.  "He  was  with  you,  wasn't 
he?" 

"Yes,  he  was  with  us,"  answered  Samuel 

Hausermann.  "But  he "  The  man  stopped 

speaking  and  looked  at  his  companions. 

"But   what?      Oh,    don't    say    something   has 


DAYS  OF  WAITING  245 

happened  to  him!"  cried  Dave,  and  a  sudden  chill 
took  possession  of  his  heart. 

"We're  hoping  he  is  safe,"  said  Charles  Davis. 
"You  see,  he  went  out  yesterday,  to  look  for  some 
food.  It  was  very  slippery  on  the  rocks  and  the 
wind  knocked  him  down  and  rolled  him  over  a 
cliff." 

"And  then "     Dave  could  hardly  speak. 

"We  tried  to  get  to  him,  but  couldn't,"  said 
Samuel  Hausermann.  "Our  rope  wasn't  long 
enough.  Then  he  tried  to  climb  up  the  cliff,  but 
the  snow  seemed  to  blind  him  and  he  lost  his  grip, 
went  down,  and  disappeared  over  another  cliff 
about  a  hundred  feet  below.  And  that's  the  last 
we  saw  or  heard  of  him." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

DAVE    STRIKES   OUT   ALONE 

IT  was  dismaying  news,  and  utterly  downcast 
Dave  followed  the  others  to  the  sheep-station  and 
listened  to  the  details  of  what  the  newcomers  had 
to  tell.  It  was  a  long  story,  and  while  they  related 
it  a  good  hot  meal  was  prepared  for  them. 

"We  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain  in  safety 
and  also  the  plateau  of  the  smaller  mountain  be- 
yond," said  Samuel  Hausermann.  "That  was  the 
place  for  which  we  were  bound.  Shortly  after 
that  the  snowstorm  came  on,  and  the  high  winds, 
and  it  was  all  we  could  do  to  gain  one  of  the  old 
shelters  up  there  between  the  rocks.  In  journey- 
ing around  we  lost  a  good  portion  of  our  outfit, 
including  some  of  the  provisions,  and  all  we  had 
to  live  on  for  two  days  was  some  venison — Mr. 
Porter  shot  a  small  red  deer — and  some  beans  and 
crackers.  We  had  intended  to  do  some  more  ex- 
ploring, but  the  weather  put  a  stop  to  everything  of 
that  sort.  Then  one  of  the  party,  Mr.  Jackson, 
took  sick  and  we  had  to  do  what  we  could  to  get 
him  well  again.  At  last  Mr.  Porter  went  out  to 

246 


DAVE  STRIKES  OUT  ALONE  24; 

see  if  he  couldn't  bring  down  something  in  the  way 
of  game.  He  could  get  only  some  small  birds 
and  they  lasted  only  one  meal.  Then  he  went  out 
again,  after  an  elk  he  had  seen  at  a  distance.  That 
was  when  he  took  the  tumble  over  the  cliffs." 

"Are  you  sure  he  wasn't  killed?"  asked  Dave. 

"I  am  sure  of  nothing,  my  lad.  But  I  think  the 
chances  are  he  fell  in  the  deep  snow,  or  on  some  of 
the  fir  trees,  and  that  that  saved  his  life." 

"What  time  was  this  yesterday?" 

"About  noon.  After  that  we  decided  to  come 
down  here,  and  at  the  same  time  look  for  your 
father.  Philip  Lapham  said  he  would  remain,  to 
look  after  Jackson,  who  was  as  yet  too  weak  to 
walk.  We  left  all  our  provisions  up  there  and 
came  down  here  as  fast  as  we  could — and  here  we 
are." 

This  was  all  Samuel  Hausermann  could  tell,  and 
Charles  Davis  corroborated  his  statement.  Dave 
shook  his  head  sadly. 

"Even  if  my  father  wasn't  killed  by  the  tumble 
he  took,  maybe  he  was  starved  or  frozen  to  death," 
he  said  to  Roger. 

"Hope  for  the  best,  Dave,"  was  all  the  senator's 
son  could  answer. 

The  Norwegian  guide,  Bjornhof,  had  agreed  to 
go  back  tc  the  mountain  top  with  a  load  of  pro- 
visions. He  had  expected  to  go  alone,  but  Dave 
said  he  would  go  also,  to  see  if  he  could  not  find 


248    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

what  had  become  of  his  parent.  Then  Granbury 
Lapham  said  he  would  go  also. 

"Maybe  I'd  better  go  too,"  said  Roger. 

"No,  Roger,"  answered  Dave.  "It  wouldn't 
be  fair  to  ask  you  to  do  that.  There  is  too  much 
of  peril,  and  you  must  remember  what  you 
promised  your  mother  and  father.  You  stay  here 
with  Mr.  Davis  and  Mr.  Hausermann."  And  so 
it  was  finally  settled. 

All  of  the  party  were  provided  with  knapsacks, 
which  they  filled  with  the  best  provisions  available. 
The  guide  also  carried  an  extra  bag  of  stuff, 
strapped  across  the  back  of  his  neck.  He  was  a 
brawny  fellow,  over  six  feet  in  height,  and  did  not 
seem  to  mind  the  load  in  the  least.  He  had  a  gun, 
and  Dave  and  Granbury  Lapham  each  carried  a 
pistol  and  a  box  of  cartridges. 

"Good  luck  to  you,  Dave,"  said  the  senator's 
son  on  parting,  and  he  shook  hands  warmly.  "Re- 
member, I  shall  be  very  anxious  until  I  hear  from 
you  again."  He  followed  his  chum  a  short  dis- 
tance up  the  mountain  trail,  and  the  two  were 
loath  to  separate. 

The  route  was  rocky  and  uncertain,  and  during 
the  next  two  hours  Dave  realized  what  climbing 
the  Alps  must  be.  At  certain  spots  they  had  to 
help  one  another  along,  using  a  rope  for  that  pur- 
pose. Once  they  crossed  a  split  in  the  rocks  several 
feet  wide  and  of  great  depth,  and  it  made  Dave 


DAVE  STRIKES  OUT  ALONE  249 

shudder  to  peer  down  into  the  dark  and  forbidding 
depths  below. 

Yet  he  thought  very  little  of  the  perils  of  that 
arduous  journey.  His  mind  was  constantly  on  his 
parent.  Would  he  find  his  father  alive,  or  had 
the  fall  over  the  cliffs  killed  his  parent? 

"God  grant  he  is  alive !"  he  said  to  himself,  over 
and  over  again. 

They  had  started  directly  after  breakfast,  and 
by  noon  reached  a  small  level  spot  where  they  took 
a  well-deserved  rest.  From  this  place  the  guide 
pointed  out  the  cliffs  from  which  Mr.  Porter  had 
fallen. 

"But  you  cannot  reach  them  from  here,"  he  ex- 
plained, in  his  native  dialect,  to  Granbury  Lap- 
ham.  "To  get  to  them  we  must  walk  at  least  a 
mile  further.  And  even  then  I  know  of  no  way 
to  reach  the  spot  to  which  the  poor  man  fell." 

"I'll  reach  that  somehow,"  said  Dave,  when  the 
guide's  words  had  been  translated  to  him. 

"Well,  lad,  you  must  be  careful,"  cautioned 
Granbury  Lapham.  "No  use  in  your  losing  your 
life,  you  know." 

But  Dave  merely  shook  his  head.  He  was 
bound  to  find  his  father,  dead  or  alive,  no  matter 
what  the  cost.  For  the  time  being  he  could  think 
of  absolutely  nothing  else.  That,  and  that  alone, 
possessed  him,  heart  and  soul. 

The  air  was  clear,  with  little  or  no  wind,  which 


250    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

was  one  comfort.  As  they  went  on  they  had  to 
pass  around  great  ridges  of  snow  and  over  hum- 
mocks of  ice,  where  the  water  had  frozen  while 
tumbling  down  the  mountain  side.  There  were  but 
few  trees  in  that  vicinity,  although  a  small  forest 
grew  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs. 

At  last  they  reached  a  spot  where  the  guide  said 
a  small  and  decidedly  uncertain  trail  led  to  the 
bottom  of  the  upper  cliff — the  first  one  over  which 
Mr.  Porter  had  fallen. 

"Then  that  is  where  I  am  going,"  said  Dave. 
"Perhaps  I  can  find  out  something  about  my  father 
there." 

"You  had  better  come  with  us,"  answered  Gran- 
bury  Lapham.  "As  soon  as  I  have  met  my 
brother  we  can  all  come  back  to  this  place." 

"No,  you  can  come  back  anyway — I'll  stay  here 
now  and  look  around,"  replied  the  youth,  firmly. 

Bjornhof  pointed  out  the  exact  spot  from  which 
Mr.  Porter  had  fallen,  and  without  waiting  Dave 
trudged  off,  and  the  others  continued  their  climb 
up  the  mountain.  Soon  a  point  of  rocks  separated 
them,  and  Dave  found  himself  utterly  alone. 

Had  he  had  less  to  think  about  the  boy  might 
have  felt  very  lonely.  But  now  his  heart  was 
filled  with  thoughts  of  his  parent,  and  he  never 
gave  the  situation  in  which  he  was  placed  any  con- 
sideration. On  and  on  he  hurried.  Twice  he 
fell  on  the  slippery  rocks,  but  picked  himself  up 


DAVE  STRIKES  OUT  ALONE  251 

just  as  quickly.  In  his  mind's  eye  he  could  see  his 
father  helpless  at  the  bottom  of  the  cliffs,  with  a 
broken  leg  or  a  fractured  rib,  or  suffering  for  the 
want  of  food  and  warmth.  Such  thoughts  were 
terrifying,  and  caused  him  to  shudder  from  head 
to  foot. 

"This  must  be  the  place  I" 

He  spoke  the  words  as  he  came  to  a  spot  where 
footprints  in  the  snow  were  plainly  visible.  He 
looked  around  eagerly  and  made  out  where  his 
father  had  slipped  from  that  cliff  to  the  hollow 
below.  Here  was  a  long  icy  slide,  and  Dave  did 
not  dare  to  venture  too  close  to  the  brink,  for  fear 
of  going  over. 

"That  hollow  must  be  at  least  a  hundred  feet 
deep,"  reasoned  the  youth.  "How  am  I  ever  to 
get  down  there?" 

He  called  out,  but  no  answer  came  back.  Then 
he  walked  slowly  to  the  far  end  of  the  cliff,  behind 
and  over  some  jagged  rocks  which  at  first  seemed 
to  completely  bar  the  way. 

He  heaved  a  long  sigh,  then  looked  at  the  very 
end  of  the  cliff.  Here  the  rocks  were  notched  and 
uneven,  and  he  found  a  spot  where  he  could  drop  a 
distance  of  fifteen  feet  in  safety.  But  after  that? 

"If  I  get  down  there  perhaps  I  won't  be  able  to 
get  back — if  I  want  to,"  he  reasoned.  "But  I'm 
going  down,  anyway — and  find  out  what  became  of 
father,"  he  added,  recklessly. 


252    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

The  drop  taken,  he  found  himself  on  a  ledge 
several  yards  wide  and  twice  as  long.  To  his  de- 
light back  of  the  ledge  was  a  hollow  leading  down- 
ward. 

"Perhaps  that  goes  to  the  bottom  of  the  cliff," 
he  mused.  "I'll  try  it,  anyway." 

The  passageway  was  dangerous,  being  covered 
with  ice,  and  he  had  to  move  literally  an  inch  at  a 
time.  Once  he  slipped,  but  caught  fast  to  a  ridge 
of  ice  just  in  time  to  save  himself.  It  made  his 
heart  leap  into  his  throat,  yet  he  kept  on.  He 
was  so  eager  to  gain  the  object  of  his  quest  that  no 
peril,  no  matter  how  great,  could  have  daunted 
him.  Surely  "blood  is  thicker  than  water"  every 
time. 

Having  gained  the  bottom  of  the  hollow  inside 
of  the  cliff,  he  turned  to  where  a  streak  of  light 
showed.  Here  was  a  narrow  slit  leading  to  the 
greater  hollow  outside  of  the  cliff.  It  was  so  small 
that  the  youth  squeezed  through  with  difficulty  and 
had  even  more  trouble  getting  his  knapsack  on  the 
other  side. 

He  now  stood  where  there  was  a  gentle  slope 
leading  to  the  firs  growing  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff. 
Here  there  was  a  great  drift  of  snow,  in  some  spots 
fifteen  and  twenty  feet  high. 

"I  wonder  if  father  came  down  in  that?"  he 
mused.  "If  he  did  he  wouldn't  be  apt  to  break 
any  bones.  But  he  might  get  smothered  before  he 


DAVE  STRIKES  OUT  ALONE  253 

could  find  his  way  out,  especially  if  the  fall  took  his 
breath  away." 

He  gazed  around  in  the  drift  and  saw  a  spot 
where  it  looked  as  if  the  snow  had  been  disturbed. 
Then  he  saw  what  looked  to  be  footprints  further 
on,  leading  among  the  firs. 

"Hello !  hello !"  he  called,  with  all  the  strength 
of  his  lungs.  "Mr.  Porter!  Where  are  you?" 

His  voice  echoed  along  the  rocks  and  beyond, 
and  he  waited  with  bated  breath  for  a  reply,  but, 
as  before,  none  came. 

What  should  he  do  next — go  on  or  search  the 
immense  snowdrift  for  his  father's  body? 

He  deliberated  for  several  minutes,  then  moved 
onward. 

"I  must  see  if  he  is  alive,"  he  reasoned.  "I  can 
always  come  back  for  his  body  later — if  I  have 
to." 

The  edge  of  the  fir  forest  gained,  Dave  paused 
once  more.  Here  was  a  track  in  the  snow,  but 
whether  made  by  a  human  being  or  a  wild  animal 
he  could  not  tell.  Then  he  uttered  a  sharp  cry 
and  rushed  forward  to  pick  something  up. 

It  was  a  box  that  had  contained  rifle  cartridges. 
It  was  empty  and  practically  new.  Had  his  father 
possessed  that  and  discarded  it? 

Suddenly  he  thought  of  something  new,  and 
pulling  out  his  pistol  fired  it  off  as  a  signal.  The 
last  echo  had  hardly  died  out  when  an  answering 


254    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

shot  came  back.  His  face  lit  up  with  joy,  then 
grew  sober  again. 

Perhaps  the  shot  had  come  from  above,  from 
Granbury  Lapham  or  the  others  up  there.  But 
no,  it  had  seemed  to  be  further  down — beyond  the 
line  of  firs  which  confronted  him.  At  the  risk  of 
wasting  too  much  ammunition  he  fired  again.  But 
this  time  no  signal  came  back. 

"If  it  was  father  he'll  want  to  save  his  shots — 
especially  if  his  cartridge  box  is  empty,"  thought 
Dave.  Then  he  resolved  to  push  on  through  the 
timber,  calling  his  parent  in  the  meanwhile. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

A  JOYOUS   MEETING 

DAVE  had  proceeded  a  distance  of  fifty  yards 
into  the  patch  of  firs  when  he  came  to  a  halt.  A 
peculiar  sound  to  his  left  had  caught  his  ears.  He 
had  never  heard  such  a  sound  before  and  he  won- 
dered what  it  was. 

"Must  have  been  some  bird — or  a  wild  animal," 
he  murmured,  after  he  had  listened  for  some  time. 
"There  ought  to  be  many  kinds  of  small  wild  ani- 
mals in  a  place  like  this." 

He  proceeded  on  his  way  again,  but  a  dozen 
steps  further  came  to  another  halt.  Something  lay 
in  the  snow  at  his  feet.  It  was  a  fur  glove.  He 
picked  it  up,  looked  it  over,  and  then,  in  his  agita- 
tion, dropped  it. 

The  glove  was  stained  with  blood ! 

"Can  that  be  father's  glove?"  he  thought. 
"And  if  it  is,  how  does  it  happen  that  it  is  covered 
with  blood?" 

A  shiver  ran  down  his  backbone  that  was  not 
caused  by  the  cold,  and  for  the  minute  he  could 
hardly  move.  He  tried  to  call  once  more,  but  his 
throat  was  so  dry  he  could  scarcely  make  a  sound. 

855 


256    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Again  from  a  distance  came  that  peculiar  noise, 
low  and  muttering.  He  now  recognized  it  as  a 
growl,  but  whether  of  a  dog  or  a  wild  beast  he 
could  not  determine.  He  brought  out  the  pistol 
he  had  placed  in  his  pocket  and  held  it  ready  for 
use. 

"Footprints!"  The  word  came  from  his  lips 
involuntarily.  He  had  reached  a  spot  where  the 
snow  was  only  a  few  inches  deep,  and  here  the 
footprints  of  a  man  were  plainly  to  be  seen.  They 
led  through  the  belt  of  firs  and  then  towards  the 
jagged  rocks  at  the  base  of  a  high  cliff. 

Again  that  suspicious  growl  reached  him,  and 
now  Dave  saw  a  dark  object  just  as  it  disappeared 
around  a  corner  of  rock  close  to  some  brushwood. 

"Was  that  a  beast  or  a  man  crawling  in  the 
snow?"  he  asked  himself.  "That  sound  came 
from  an  animal,  but  the  thing  didn't  look  like  a 
beast." 

He  went  on,  more  cautiously  than  ever.  Then 
he  heard  a  sudden  cry  that  made  every  nerve  in  his 
body  tingle: 

"Get  back  there !     Get  back,  you  brute  I" 

It  was  a  man's  voice,  weak  and  exhausted,  trying 
to  keep  off  some  wild  beast.  Then  came  a  low 
growl,  followed  by  the  discharge  of  a  pistol,  and  a 
few  seconds  later  there  came  running  toward  Dave 
a  full-grown  bear,  growling  savagely  and  wagging 
its  shaggy  head  from  side  to  side. 


A  JOYOUS  MEETING  257 

The  youth  was  surprised  but  not  taken  off  his 
guard,  and  as  the  animal  came  closer  he  leveled  his 
weapon,  took  aim,  and  pulled  the  trigger.  The 
bear  had  raised  up  on  its  hind  legs  and  the  bullet 
took  it  straight  in  the  breast,  inflicting  a  bad  but 
not  a  mortal  wound.  Then  Dave  started  to  fire 
a  second  time,  but  in  a  twinkling  the  bear  leaped 
over  a  low  rock  and  disappeared  in  the  brushwood. 
Listening,  Dave  heard  it  lumbering  away,  growl- 
ing with  rage  and  pain  as  it  went. 

"Hello!"  came  a  faint  voice.  "Is  that  you, 
Lapham  ?" 

"No,  it  is  somebody  else,"  answered  Dave.  He 
could  scarcely  speak,  he  was  so  agitated.  "Where 
are  you?" 

"Here,  near  the  cliff.  I  am  wounded,  and  I — 
I "  The  voice  died  out  completely. 

"I'm  coming!"  shouted  Dave.  "Just  let  me 
know  where  you  are." 

For  a  minute  there  was  no  answer,  and  Dave 
continued  to  call.  Then  came  what  was  half  call 
and  half  moan.  With  ears  on  the  alert,  the  boy 
followed  up  the  sounds  and  quickly  came  in  sight 
of  a  man,  wrapped  up  in  a  fur  overcoat  and 
crouched  in  a  heap  between  two  rocks  at  the  base 
of  the  cliff.  He  held  a  pistol  in  his  hand,  but  the 
weapon  was  empty. 

For  the  instant  man  and  boy  faced  each  other — 
the  former  too  weak  to  speak  and  the  latter  too 


258    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

agitated  to  do  so.  Dave's  heart  was  beating  like  a 
trip-hammer  and  for  the  time  being  his  surround- 
ings were  completely  forgotten. 

"Are  you — are  you "  he  began.  "Are  you 

David  Porter?"  he  blurted  out. 

"Yes,"  was  the  gasped-out  reply.  "Yo — 
you " 

"And  you  don't  know  me!     Oh,  father!" 

"Eh?  What's  that?"  asked  the  man,  rising 
up  slightly. 

"You  don't  know  me?  But  of  course  you  don't 
— if  you  didn't  get  the  letters  and  telegrams.  I 
am  your  son,  Dave  Porter." 

"My  son?  Wha — what  do  you  mean?  I — 
er — I  have  no  son.  I  had  one,  years  and  years 

ago,  but "  Mr.  Porter  was  too  weak  to  go 

on.  He  sat  staring  at  Dave  in  bewilderment. 

"You  lost  him,  I  know.  He  was  stolen  from 
you.  Well,  I  am  that  son.  I  have  been  looking 
for  you  for  months.  I  found  Uncle  Dunston  first, 
and  then  we  sent  letters  and  cablegrams  to  you,  but 
no  answer  came  back.  Then  I  started  out  to  hunt 
you  up — and  here  I  am."  Dave  was  on  his  knees 
and  holding  his  father's  blood-stained  hand  in 
his  own.  "I  see  you  are  hurt;  I'll " 

"My  son?  My  son?"  queried  Mr.  Porter,  like 
one  in  a  dream.  "Can  this  be  true?"  He  gazed 
unsteadily  at  Dave.  Then  he  closed  his  eyes  and 
went  off  into  a  dead  faint. 


A  JOYOUS  MEETING  259 

The  youth  was  startled,  for  he  saw  that  his 
parent  might  be  dying.  His  hand  was  hurt  and  he 
had  scratches  on  his  ear,  and  one  knee  of  his  trou- 
sers was  blood-stained. 

"I  must  help  him — he  must  not  die!"  thought 
Dave,  and  set  to  work  with  feverish  haste,  doing 
all  that  was  possible  under  the  circumstances. 
From  his  shirt  he  tore  off  the  sleeves  and  used  them 
as  bandages.  Then  he  rubbed  his  father's  face 
with  snow.  Presently  the  man  opened  his  eyes 
and  stared  again  at  Dave. 

uDid  yo — you  say  you  were  my — my  son?"  he 
asked,  in  a  weak,  incredulous  voice. 

"If  you  are  David  Breslow  Porter,  a  twin 
brother  to  Dunston  Porter." 

"I  am." 

"Then  I  am  your  son — the  one  who  was  stolen 
from  you  by  the  nurse,  Polly  Margot,  and  her 
worthless  husband,  Sandy." 

"It  is — is  marvellous !  I  can  hardly  believe  it!" 
murmured  Mr.  Porter. 

"But  it  is  true — and  I  can  easily  prove  it, 
father,"  answered  the  youth,  in  a  happy  tone.  He 
bent  over  and  kissed  his  parent.  "Oh,  I  am  so 
glad  I  have  found  you !" 

"Yes!  yes!  I  am  glad  too!"  Mr.  Porter's 
eyes  began  to  beam.  "But  I — I — really  can't  un- 
derstand it  yet!  I — my  son,  my  little  Dave! 
Why,  it  sounds  like  a  fairy  tale !  I  must  be  dream- 


260    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

ing."  He  caught  *Dave  by  the  shoulder.  "Is  it 
really,  really  so?" 

"It  is,  father,  and  I'll  explain  it  all  after  awhile. 
But  now  you  are  hurt,  and  you  must  take  it  easy. 
Did  you  tumble  over  the  cliff,  or  did  that 
bear " 

"Both,  Dave.  How  queer  it  sounds  to  call  you 
Dave,  my  Dave!"  Mr.  Porter  caught  the  boy 
around  the  neck.  "I  can't  believe  it  yet — I  really 
can't.  Where  have  you  been  all  these  years? 
And  how  did  you  learn " 

"I'll  tell  you  afterwards,  father — when  we  are 
safe.  Then  you  fell  over  the  cliff  ?" 

"Yes,  and  while  I  was  trying  to  crawl  away  to 
some  spot  to  rest  the  bear  got  after  me  and 
scratched  me  in  the  ear.  I  let  him  have  a  bullet 
in  his  neck  and  that  made  him  retreat.  But  then 
he  came  at  me  again,  and  I  don't  know  what  I 
should  have  done  if  it  hadn't  been  for  your  arrival. 
The  pistol  is  empty,  as  you  can  see." 

"You  heard  my  shot  and  you  signaled  back, 
didn't  you?" 

"Yes,  I  signaled  back  and  shot  at  the  bear  at 
the  same  time.  But  that  shot  didn't  hit  him,  al- 
though it  made  him  keep  his  distance  for  awhile." 

"I  see  your  pistol  is  the  same  size  as  mine,  so 
I'll  load  them  both — in  case  the  bear  comes  back." 
Dave  set  to  work  immediately  and  soon  had  the 
work  completed.  "Now  you  must  have  some- 


A  JOYOUS  MEETING  261 

thing  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  then  you'll  feel 
better." 

He  unslung  his  knapsack  and  brought  forth  his 
provisions,  and  sitting  in  the  shelter  of  the  cliff 
prepared  a  meal.  Over  some  lighted  brushwood 
he  made  a  canteen  of  coffee,  of  which  his  father 
partook  with  satisfaction,  and  then  ate  a  sandwich 
and  some  crackers  and  cheese.  As  he  supplied  his 
parent  Dave  told  a  good  portion  of  his  story,  al- 
though he  went  into  few  details. 

"It  is  queer  that  I  never  received  any  of  those 
letters  and  cablegrams,"  said  Mr.  Porter.  "Yet 
you  must  remember  I  thought  your  uncle  was  still 
among  the  South  Sea  Islands.  He  wrote  to  me 
that  he  was  going  on  a  trip  that  might  last  two 
years  or  more  and  might  not  be  able  to  write  to 
me  for  some  time.  Laura,  your  cister — how  sur- 
prised she  will  be ! — and  myself  traveled  down  to 
Rome  and  through  Spain  and  then  came  up  to  Ber- 
lin. There  I  fell  in  with  Hausermann  and,  later 
on,  with  Philip  Lapham.  They  told  me  of  this 
expedition  into  Norway,  and  got  me  interested 
financially.  Your  sister  wanted  to  go  to  the  United 
States,  with  some  close  friends,  and  I  let  her  go 
and  came  up  here.  We  traveled  to  Norway  some- 
what in  secret,  for  we  did  not  wish  to  let  the  object 
of  our  expedition  become  known.  On  that  ac- 
count we  had  some  trouble  with  the  police,  who 
took  us  for  political  intriguers.  After  that  we  left 


262    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

no  addresses  behind  us — which  accounts  for  the 
non-delivery  of  the  cablegram  you  sent  to  me  from 
England." 

"But  what  brought  you  up  into  this  portion  of 
Norway,  father,  and  at  this  time  of  the  year?" 

"We  came  to  locate  a  valuable  mine,  or  rather 
a  series  of  mines,  in  this  section.  Hausermann 
had  some  information  about  them,  but  had  no 
money,  and  he  came  to  me  and  then  to  Philip  I  -*p- 
ham,  and  we  'staked'  the  expedition,  as  miners 
call  it.  We  came  up  this  winter  because  we  heard 
that  three  other  parties  were  coming  up  next  spring 
and  next  summer,  and  we  wanted  to  get  in  ahead." 

"And  have  you  done  that?"  asked  Dave,  with 
interest. 

"Not  as  yet.  We  have  found  some  traces  of 
copper  at  one  point  and  nickel  at  another,  but  not 
the  rich  deposits  the  information  we  possessed  led 
us  to  believe  could  be  located." 

"Never  mind,  now  we  are  together,  perhaps 
you'll  have  better  luck,  father.  I'll  help  you." 
Dave  smiled  broadly.  "Tell  me  about  yourself, 
and  about  my  sister  Laura,  won't  you?" 

Both  sat  in  front  of  the  tiny  camp-fire,  Mr. 
Porter's  bandaged  head  resting  on  Dave's  shoul- 
der, and  a  hand  clasping  that  cf  the  boy.  They 
were  supremely  happy,  and  for  the  time  being  the 
world  around  them  was  forgotten.  Mr.  Porter 
told  much  about  himself  and  of  his  travels,  and 


A  JOYOUS  MEETING  263 

Dave  related  how  he  had  been  raised  at  the  poor- 
house  and  taken  care  of  by  Caspar  Potts  and 
Oliver  Wadsworth,  and  how  he  had  fallen  in  with 
Billy  Dill,  the  sailor,  and  gone  to  the  South  Sea 
Islands  and  found  his  Uncle  Dunston. 

"I  know  your  sister  Laura  will  be  overjoyed  to 
learn  the  news,"  said  Mr.  Porter.  "She  has  often 
said  how  nice  it  would  be  if  she  had  a  sister  or  a 
brother.  Since  your  mother's  death  we  have  been 
very  lonely.  Ah,  if  your  mother  could  only  have 
seen'  this  day!"  And  the  tears  stood  in  Mr.  Por- 
ter's eyes.  Then  he  drew  Dave  to  his  breast,  and 
a  warm  embrace  by  both  followed. 

They  had  completely  forgotten  their  surround- 
ings when  a  deep  growl  close  at  hand  aroused  them 
and  caused  the  boy  to  leap  to  his  feet.  He  gazed 
into  the  brushwood  fronting  the  jagged  rocks  and 
the  base  of  the  cliff  and  uttered  a  cry  of  alarm. 

"What  is  it,  Dave?"  questioned  his  father. 

"Two  bears — the  one  we  wounded  and  another 
and  bigger  one." 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

BEARS  AND  WOLVES 

AT  the  announcement  from  Dave,  Mr.  Porter 
tried  to  rise  to  his  feet.  He  could  not  stand  on 
both  legs,  and  so  had  to  rest  against  one  of  the 
rocks.  From  this  point  he,  too,  could  see  the  two 
bears;  but  a  moment  later  both  animals  were 
hidden  completely  by  the  brushwood  and  the  snow. 

"I  am  afraid  they  mean  business,"  said  Dave, 
anxiously. 

"They  are  hungry  and  the  deep  snow  has  made 
it  hard  for  them  to  get  food,"  answered  Mr. 
Porter. 

"I  thought  bears  went  into  winter  quarters  in  a 
place  like  this." 

"So  they  do  sometimes,  but  not  always.  Be- 
sides, I  disturbed  the  wounded  bear  when  I  fell 
over  the  cliff,  and  I  presume  that  other  beast  is  his 
mate." 

"I  wish  I  had  a  rifle.  I  could  get  a  better  shot 
than  with  this  pistol." 

"A  good  double-barreled  shotgun  would  be  a 
fine  thing,  Dave.  But  we'll  have  to  use  what 

264 


BEARS  AND  WOLVES  265 

we've  got.  Don't  shoot  until  you  are  certain  of 
your  aim,"  added  Mr.  Porter. 

A  portion  of  his  strength  had  come  back  to  him, 
and  the  new  alarm  gave  him  temporary  vigor. 
Yet  he  knew  that  to  fight  off  two  angry  bears 
would  not  be  easy,  and  he  looked  around  for  some 
better  shelter  than  that  which  they  at  present 
possessed. 

"Here  is  a  small  opening  between  the  rocks, — 
let  us  back  into  it,  if  the  bears  press  us  too  closely," 
said  he. 

He  had  scarcely  spoken  when  the  wounded  bear 
advanced,  followed  closely  by  its  mate.  Dave 
waited  until  the  foremost  beast  was  within  a  dozen 
paces  of  him,  then  he  fired.  There  was  a  growl 
of  pain  and  the  bear  tumbled  back,  landing  against 
its  mate. 

"Good!"  cried  Mr.  Porter.  "Look  out!"  he 
added,  a  second  later.  "The  other  one  is  coming !" 

He  was  right.  The  bigger  bear  of  the  two  came 
forward  with  a  bound,  landing  almost  at  Dave's 
feet.  Crack !  crack !  went  Mr.  Porter's  pistol,  and 
the  huge  animal  was  hit  twice,  in  the  breast  and  in 
the  neck.  The  bear  uttered  a  sound  that  was  half 
growl  and  half  yelp  and  then  came  on  again. 
Crack !  went  Dave's  pistol,  and  the  bullet  hit  the 
beast  directly  in  the  teeth,  knocking  one  of  them 
down  the  animal's  throat.  Wounded  and 
alarmed,  the  bear  stood  still,  and  again  the  boy 


266    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

fired,  and  then  the  bear  turned  and  lumbered  away 
into  the  brushwood,  wounded  just  sufficiently  to 
make  it  thoroughly  disagreeable.  The  other  bear 
followed;  and  the  battle,  for  the  time  being,  came 
to  an  end. 

"Come,  Dave,  it  is  dangerous  to  stay  out  here," 
said  Mr.  Porter.  "Let  us  go  back  into  the  hollow, 
and  bring  that  fire  with  you  if  you  can." 

Mr.  Porter  crawled  back  and  the  youth  fol- 
lowed, dragging  the  burning  brushwood  behind 
him.  Then  Dave  took  both  pistols  and  reloaded 
the  empty  chambers  with  all  possible  speed. 

"I  see  you  have  learned  the  first  rule  of  hunt- 
ing," said  his  father,  with  a  smile. 

"What  is  that?" 

"Never  to  carry  around  an  empty  or  partly 
empty  weapon.  I  kept  my  pistol  loaded  up  as 
long  as  I  had  any  cartridges  left." 

"I  wish  I  had  some  more  brushwood  to  put  on 
the  fire — that  would  keep  the  beasts  off.  Wonder 
if  I  can't  break  some  of  the  stuff  off?" 

"Don't  go  out  yet,  Dave — it's  dangerous," 
pleaded  Mr.  Porter. 

"I'll  keep  my  eyes  on  the  bears,  never  fear,"  was 
the  reply. 

With  caution  the  youth  crawled  over  to  the 
nearest  patch  of  brushwood,  a  distance  of  fifty 
feet.  As  he  broke  off  some  of  the  dry  twigs  a 
low  growl  reached  his  ears.  But  he  kept  at  the 


BEARS  AND  WOLVES  267 

task  until  he  had  as  much  as  he  thought  he  could 
carry. 

But  Dave  never  got  the  brushwood  where  he 
wanted  it,  for  as  he  commenced  to  drag  it  along 
both  bears  leaped  from  their  hiding-place  and  one 
landed  almost  on  top  of  him.  Crack !  crack !  went 
his  pistol,  and  the  weapon  Mr.  Porter  possessed 
sounded  out  three  times.  Each  bear  was  wounded 
again,  but  Dave  received  a  blow  from  a  rough  paw 
that  sent  him  headlong.  He  rolled  over  and  over 
in  the  snow,  and  then  leaped  for  the  shelter,  and 
his  father  dragged  him  to  temporary  safety. 
While  this  was  going  on  the  bears  started  to  re- 
treat. This  time  they  left  the  brushwood  entirely 
and  stationed  themselves  behind  the  nearest  belt  of 
firs,  about  fifty  yards  away. 

"I  told  you  to  be  careful,"  said  Mr.  Porter,  as 
Dave  got  up  and  faced  about.  "Are  you  seriously 
hurt?" 

"N — no,  bu — but  that  bear  knocked  me  do — 
down  as  if  he  was  a  pri — prize-fighter!"  gasped 
Dave.  "Phew  !  but  they  are  powerful !" 

"If  he  hadn't  been  wounded  he  might  have 
killed  you.  You  must  take  no  more  chances. 
Promise  me  you  won't,  Dave.  I  don't  want  to 
lose  you  right  after  finding  you!"  And  Mr. 
Porter  turned  an  appealing  look  into  the  lad's 
eyes. 

"I'll  be  on  guard,  father.     And  don't  you  take 


268    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

any  chances  either,"  added  Dave,  gazing  at  his 
father  in  a  manner  which  spoke  volumes. 

They  found  the  hollow  under  the  cliff  to  be  less 
than  two  yards  deep  and  of  about  the  same  width. 
The  rocks  overhead  hung  down  so  that  they 
touched  Dave's  head.  In  front  was  a  small  snow- 
drift, looking  over  which  father  and  son  could  just 
make  out  the  two  bears,  as  they  squatted  on  the 
ground  between  the  firs.  The  beasts  did  consider- 
able growling  and  did  what  they  could  to  take  care 
of  their  wounds,  yet  they  showed  no  disposition  to 
leave  that  vicinity. 

"They  must  be  very  hungry,"  was  Mr.  Porter's 
comment.  "Otherwise  they  wouldn't  remain  here 
after  being  punished  so  badly;"  and  he  was  right: 
the  animals  were  well-nigh  starved,  hence  their 
recklessness. 

Half  an  hour  went  by,  and  Dave  and  his  parent 
remained  under  the  cliff.  Without  a  fire  it  was 
extremely  cold,  and  they  had  to  stamp  around  to 
keep  warm.  At  times  Mr.  Porter  felt  rather  faint 
from  his  wounds,  but  he  kept  this  from  Dave  as 
much  as  possible.  Yet  presently  the  boy  noticed 
it. 

"I  must  get  you  out  of  this  soon,"  he  said. 
"You  need  regular  medical  attention." 

"I  shan't  mind  it,   Dave,   if  only  I  can  keep 


warm." 


'Maybe  I  can  get  that  brushwood  now,  father." 


Dave  received  a  blow  from  a  rough  paw  that   sent  him 
headlong.  —  Page  267. 


BEARS  AND  WOLVES  269 

"No,  do  not  attempt  it." 

There  was  a  spell  of  silence  after  that,  and  then 
Dave  raised  his  pistol. 

"Do  you  know  what  I  am  going  to  do?"  he 
said.  "I  am  going  to  discharge  four  shots  at  the 
bears.  Even  at  this  distance  I  ought  to  be  able 
to  do  some  damage." 

"Well,  you  can  try  it,  Dave.  But  I  don't  think 
you'll  accomplish  a  great  deal,  Their  hide  is  too 
tough." 

Dave  brushed  the  snow  from  the  rocks  in  front 
of  him,  knelt  down,  and  rested  his  arm  with  care. 
Then  he  took  careful  aim  at  the  bear  that  had  first 
appeared.  Crack!  went  the  pistol  four  times  in 
rapid  succession.  The  bear  gave  a  leap,  clawed 
at  its  face  several  times,  and  then,  with  a  grunt  of 
agony,  turned  and  fled  among  the  firs  and  out  of 
sight. 

"Hurrah !  that  did  some  damage !"  cried  the 
youth,  as  he  started  to  reload.  "Now  I'll  see  if  I 

can  hit  the  other  bear Hello,  he's  gone, 

too!" 

The  boy  was  right,  the  larger  beast  was  also 
lumbering  off,  evidently  frightened  by  the  way  its 
mate  had  been  treated.  Soon  it,  too,  had  disap- 
peared from  view.  Mr.  Porter  and  Dave  watched 
for  a  long  time,  but  neither  animal  came  back. 

"They  may  possibly  return,  but  I  doubt  it,"  said 
Dave.  "Anyway,  I  don't  think  they'll  come  back 


2/0    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

right  away,  and  that  will  give  us  a  chance  to  es- 
cape." 

"Not  if  we  must  go  back  through  that  patch  of 
timber,  my  son." 

"Let  us  try  to  get  away  by  walking  along  the 
base  of  the  cliff.  We  are  bound  to  strike  some 
sort  of  a  mountain  trail  sooner  or  later.  But, 
pshaw,  I  forgot  that  you  can't  walk.  Well, 
maybe  I  can  carry  you." 

"No,  it  will  be  too  much  of  a  load,  Dave.  We 
had  better  wait  awhile."  And  so  they  sat  down 
and  waited,  after  Dave  had  brought  in  the  brush- 
wood he  had  previously  broken  off.  A  roaring 
fire  cheered  them  greatly,  and  once  more  each  re- 
lated his  experiences.  Mr.  Porter  told  how  he 
had  traveled  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  and  said 
that  Dave  must  some  day  do  the  same.  He  asked 
the  youth  about  his  education,  and  when  Dave 
related  how  he  had  won  the  medal  of  honor  at 
Oak  Hall  his  face  beamed  with  pleasure. 

"I  certainly  owe  Professor  Potts  and  Mr.  Wads- 
worth  a  good  deal,"  he  said.  "And  I  shall  not  for- 
get them.  You  could  not  have  fallen  among  bet- 
ter friends." 

"I  believe  that,"  answered  Dave,  warmly. 
"Professor  Potts  and  all  of  the  Wadsworths  have 
been  just  as  good  as  they  could  be  to  me." 

Almost  before  they  knew  it  darkness  came  on. 
Dave  brought  in  more  of  the  brushwood  and  even 


BEARS  AND  WOLVES  271 

dragged  over  some  limbs  of  a  fallen  fir.  Luckily 
he  had  brought  along  enough  provisions  for 
several  meals,  and  they  proceeded  to  make  them- 
selves as  comfortable  as  possible  in  the  hollow  of 
the  cliff.  They  ate  slowly,  talking  the  while  and 
each  smiling  warmly  into  the  face  of  the  other. 

"It  seems  almost  too  good  to  be  true,"  said  Mr. 
Porter,  not  once  but  several  times. 

"And,  oh,  I  am  so  thankful!"  responded  Dave. 

Mr.  Porter  was  so  weak  he  needed  sleep,  so 
Dave  told  his  parent  to  lie  down  on  some  of  the 
brushwood,  which  he  spread  out  as  a  couch  next  to 
the  rocky  wall. 

"But  what  will  you  do,  my  son?"  asked  Mr. 
Porter. 

"I'll  remain  on  guard — so  those  bears  don't  get 
a  chance  to  surprise  us." 

"But  aren't  you  sleepy?" 

"No — I'm  so  happy  I  don't  think  I'll  be  able  to 
sleep  for  a  week." 

Mr.  Porter  lay  down  and  closed  his  eyes,  but  it 
was  a  good  hour  before  he  dropped  into  a  doze. 
Dave  sat  by  the  fire,  where  he  could  look  at  his 
father's  face.  It  seemed  as  if  he  would  never  get 
done  gazing  at  those  features,  so  like  his  Uncle 
Dunston's. 

"Found  at  last!"  he  murmured.  "Found  at 
last,  and  thank  God  for  it !" 

Two  hours  passed,  and  still  Dave  sat  in  the  same 


272    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

position,  thinking  of  the  past  and  speculating  on 
the  future.  He  thought  of  his  sister  Laura  and 
wondered  how  soon  they  would  meet,  and  if  she 
and  Jessie  would  become  friends. 

"What's  that?" 

The  boy  leaped  to  his  feet,  and  the  sudden  move- 
ment aroused  his  father.  Both  listened  to  a  yelp- 
ing and  a  growling  at  a  distance.  The  yelping 
grew  louder  and  louder,  while  the  growling  grew 
fainter. 

"I  know  what  it  is!"  cried  Dave,  at  length. 
"Some  wolves  have  gotten  on  the  trail  of  those 
wounded  bears.  Now  there  will  be  a  battle 
royal!" 

"You  must  be  right,  Dave.  Hark!  The 
wolves  must  number  a  dozen  or  more." 

"Sounds  like  about  half  a  hundred  to  me, 
father." 

The  battle  took  place  at  the  far  end  of  the 
forest  of  firs  and  gradually  grew  fainter  and 
fainter.  Mr.  Porter  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 

"I  don't  like  this,  Dave." 

"What,  aren't  you  glad  that  the  bears  have 
been  attacked?  I  am." 

"It  isn't  that.  If  those  wolves  want  more  meat 
they'll  follow  up  that  bloody  trail — and  it  leads 
directly  over  here." 

"Phew !  I  never  thought  of  that.  I'll  stir  up 
the  nre — that  will  help  to  keep  them  at  a  distance." 


BEARS  AND  WOLVES  273 

Dave  set  to  work  with  avidity,  piling  on  nearly 
all  of  the  brushwood  that  was  left.  He  had  just 
completed  the  task  when  he  chanced  to  look  beyond 
into  the  waste  of  snow.  He  saw  a  pair  of  gleam- 
ing eyes — then  another  pair  and  still  another. 

"The  wolves  are  coming,  father!"  he  cried,  in 
consternation. 

"I  see  them,  Dave,  and  we  are  going  to  have  the 
fight  of  our  lives  to  keep  them  off,"  answered  Mr. 
Porter. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

HOME  AGAIN CONCLUSION 

IN  a  few  minutes  the  wolves  had  come  up  and 
were  glaring  at  Mr.  Porter  and  Dave  as  they 
crouched  close  to  the  camp-fire.  There  were 
fourteen  of  the  beasts,  all  large,  lean,  and  hungry- 
looking.  They  sniffed  the  air  and  set  up  yelps 
and  mournful  howls.  Two  found  the  spot  where 
one  of  the  bears  had  been  wounded  and  pawed  at 
the  blood  which  had  saturated  the  snow. 

"Oh,  for  a  brace  of  good  shotguns!"  sighed 
Dave.  "We  could  scatter  them  in  short  order." 

"When  we  shoot  we  must  make  every  shot  tell," 
said  his  father.  "And  keep  the  cartridges  where 
we  can  get  at  them  quickly.  Hew  many  left, 
Dave?" 

The  youth  counted  the  contents  of  the  box  he 
carried. 

"Seventeen." 

"Hardly  enough  for  fourteen  wolves.     Yes,  we 

must  be  very  careful.     If  they They  are 

coming  closer!" 

374 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION          275 

"Let  us  fire  off  one  pistol  at  a  time!"   cried 
Dave.     "Then  we'll  always  have  one  ready  for 


use." 


Mr.  Porter  did  not  answer,  for  he  was  aiming  at 
the  nearest  beast.  With  the  discharge  of  the  pis- 
tol the  wolf  leaped  high  in  the  air,  turned  and 
came  down  on  its  side,  and  began  to  kick  the  snow 
in  its  death  agony. 

"A  good  shot !"  exclaimed  Dave. 

"You  can  try  your  luck,"  said  Mr.  Porter.  "I 
will  take  out  that  empty  shell  and  reload." 

The  other  wolves  had  surrounded  the  one  that 
was  dying,  and  taking  aim  at  the  center  of  the  pack 
Dave  let  drive.  One  wolf  was  hit  in  the  nose  and 
the  bullet  glanced  off  and  hit  another  in  the  jaw. 
Wild  yelps  of  pain  followed,  and  the  two  wolves 
turned  and  ran  for  cover  with  all  possible  speed. 

"We  have  gotten  rid  of  three  of  them,"  said 
Dave,  with  much  satisfaction.  "If  we  keep  this 
up  we'll  soon  get  rid  of  the  rest." 

"It  is  snowing  again,"  announced  Mr.  Porter. 

He  was  right,  and  soon  the  downfall  became  so 
heavy  that  they  could  see  next  to  nothing  beyond 
the  circle  of  light  made  by  the  camp-fire.  But 
that  the  wolves  were  still  near  they  knew  by  the 
yelps  and  snarls  which  occasionally  reached  their 
ears. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  went  by,  and  the  snow 
came  down  as  thickly  as  ever.  A  light  wind  had 


276    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

sprung  up,  and  this  sent  the  flakes  directly  into  the 
hollow  under  the  cliff.  Mr.  Porter  heaved  a 
sigh. 

"More  bad  luck,"  he  observed.  "By  morning, 
if  this  keeps  on,  we'll  be  snowed  in." 

"Look,"  said  Dave.  "I  believe  the  wolves  are 
getting  ready  to  rush  us!" 

Both  strained  their  eyes  and  soon  saw  seven  or 
eight  of  the  beasts  sneaking  softly  up  through  the 
snow.  The  light  from  the  camp-fire  shone  in  their 
eyes  and  on  their  white  fangs.  They  were  grow- 
ing desperate,  and  hoped  by  sheer  force  of  num- 
bers to  lay  their  human  prey  low. 

"Fire  three  shots,  Dave,  and  I  will  do  the 
same,"  said  Mr.  Porter,  in  a  low  tone.  "Aim  as 
carefully  as  you  can,  my  boy." 

The  various  shots  rang  out  in  rapid  succession. 
How  much  damage  was  done  they  could  not  tell, 
although  they  saw  two  wolves  go  down  and  lie 
still.  The  others  retreated,  some  limping,  and  the 
entire  pack  went  back  to  the  shelter  of  the  brush- 
wood. 

They  had  now  only  a  few  cartridges  left,  and 
these  they  divided  between  them.  Then  Dave 
stirred  up  the  fire  a  little  and  placed  the  burning 
sticks  so  they  would  last  as  long  as  possible. 
Father  and  son  looked  at  each  other  and  suddenly 
stepped  closer  and  embraced. 

"God  grant,  now  we  have  found  each  other, 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION          277 

that  we  get  from  this  spot  in  safety,"  murmured 
Mr.  Porter,  fervently. 

"Oh,  we  must  get  away  !"  added  Dave,  im- 
pulsively. 

"All  we  can  do  is  to  fight  to  the  last,  Dave." 

"Yes." 

Both  knew  only  too  well  what  to  expect  should 
the  wolves  get  the  better  of  the  contest.  "As 
cruel  as  a  wolf"  is  a  true  saying.  They  would  be 
torn  limb  from  limb  and  only  their  bones  would  be 
left  to  tell  to  some  later  traveler  the  story  of  their 
fate.  They  decided,  with  set  faces  and  shut  teeth, 
to  fight  to  the  very  last. 

Another  quarter  of  an  hour  went  by,  and  soon 
they  heard  the  wolves  coming  back.  Neither  said 
a  word,  but  both  looked  at  each  other. 

"Take  those  on  the  left, — I  will  take  those  on 
the  right,"  whispered  Mr.  Porter.  "But  be  care- 
ful— every  shot  means  so  much !" 

"I'll  shoot  my  very  best,"  answered  Dave. 

After  that  not  a  word  was  spoken.  Silently  the 
beasts  came  closer  and  closer.  Dave's  heart  began 
to  beat  rapidly.  Then,  when  he  could  wait  no 
longer,  he  aimed  at  the  nearest  animal  on  the  left 
and  pulled  the  trigger. 

Two  shots,  one  from  the  son  and  the  other  from 
the  father,  rang  out  almost  simultaneously,  and 
down  went  two  wolves  mortally  wounded.  Crack ! 
went  Dave's  weapon  a  second  time,  and  now  a 


278    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

wolf  was  hit  in  the  neck.  Then  Mr.  Porter  fired, 
sending  a  bullet  into  a  breast  that  was  presented 
to  view.  With  four  of  their  number  out  of 
the  fight,  the  other  wolves  turned  and  fled  into 
the  brushwood  and  then  toward  the  forest  of 
firs. 

The  battle  had  been  of  short  duration,  but  the 
excitement  had  been  intense,  and  Dave  found  him- 
self bathed  in  a  cold  perspiration  from  head  to 
foot.  His  father,  too,  was  weak,  and  now  sank 
on  the  rocks,  breathing  heavily. 

Only  one  small  branch  of  a  tree  remained  for 
the  fire,  and  this  Dave  set  up,  so  that  it  might  burn 
as  a  torch.  When  that  was  gone  they  would  be  in 
utter  darkness — and  then  ?  The  youth  shivered  as 
he  asked  himself  the  question.  He  knew  that  wild 
animals  love  the  darkness  and  are  braver  in  it  than 
in  the  light. 

"Hello!  hello!  hello!" 

Loud  and  clear  from  above  the  cliff  the  cry  rang 
out  a  dozen  times  or  more.  At  first  Dave  thought 
he  must  be  dreaming,  then  he  roused  up  and  so  did 
his  parent. 

"What  was  that?"  demanded  Mr.  Porter. 

"Somebody  calling,  I  think."  Dave  ran  out  of 
the  hollow  and  looked  upward  through  the  falling 
snow.  "Who  calls?"  he  yelled,  at  the  top  of  his 
lungs. 

"It  is  I,   Granbury  Lapham,   and  I  have  my 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION          279 

brother  and  the  others  with  me.  Is  that  you, 
Porter?" 

"Yes." 

"Have  you  found  your  father?" 

"Yes." 

"How  is  he  ?"  came  in  another  voice — the  voice 
of  Philip  Lapham. 

"He  is  hurt  a  little,  but  not  much." 

"I'll  be  all  right  if  I  can  only  get  out  of  here," 
called  Mr.  Porter,  coming  out  so  that  he  could  look 
up  the  cliff.  "We've  been  having  our  own 
troubles  with  two  bears  and  a  pack  of  wolves." 

"We  thought  there  must  be  trouble — by  the 
shots  fired,"  said  Granbury  Lapham.  "That's 
why  we  started  out  in  the  darkness."  He  waved 
a  torch  in  the  air.  "Can  you  see  us?" 

"We  can  see  a  light,"  answered  Dave.  He  took 
up  the  branch  from  the  fire.  "Can  you  see  our 
light?" 

"Yes." 

A  long  talk  followed,  and  the  party  above,  num- 
bering four,  said  they  had  brought  along  a  good 
rope.  This  they  lowered,  and  after  not  a  little 
difficulty  Mr.  Porter  and  Dave  were  raised  up  to 
the  ledge  above. 

"There  come  the  wolves  again !"  cried  the 
youth,  as  he  reached  the  ledge.  "Have  you  a  shot- 
gun with  you?" 

"Yes,"  said  Philip  Lapham. 


280    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

"Please  lend  it  to  me." 

The  weapon  was  passed  over,  and  Dave  blazed 
away  twice  in  rapid  succession.  A  wild  snarling 
and  yelping  followed,  and  then  the  wolves  dis- 
appeared ;  and  that  was  the  last  seen  of  them. 

"We  are  well  out  of  that,"  murmured  Mr.  Por- 
ter. "And  I  am  glad  of  it." 

"And  I  am  glad  too,"  added  Dave. 

As  it  was  snowing  heavily  the  party  did  not 
waste  time  on  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  but  moved 
back  to  a  small  hut  built  on  the  mountain  side 
and  which  was  easily  located  by  the  Norwe- 
gian guide.  Here  they  found  the  others  of  the 
exploring  party,  and  here  Mr.  Porter  and  Dave 
were  served  with  a  hot  meal  and  made  as  com- 
fortable as  possible. 

The  snow  lasted  until  noon  of  the  next  day,  and 
then  it  grew  clear  and  much  warmer.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  Dave  and  his  father  and  the  guide  went 
down  the  mountain  to  the  sheep-station.  Before 
they  left  they  bade  the  Laphams  and  the  others 
good-bye,  and  Mr.  Porter  said  he  would  leave  the 
question  of  locating  the  mines  entirely  in  Philip 
Lapham's  charge. 

"You  can  draw  on  me  for  my  full  share  of  the 
expenses,"  said  Mr.  Porter.  "And  if  nothing 
comes  of  the  venture  I  won't  complain."  It  may 
be  added  here  that,  later  on,  several  mines  of  con- 
siderable importance  were  located,  and  when  Mr. 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION          281 

Porter  sold  out  to  a  syndicate  that  was  formed  he 
realized  a  profit  of  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars. 

At  the  sheep-station  Dave  found  Roger  anx- 
iously awaiting  his  return.  The  senator's  son  was 
delighted  to  meet  Mr.  Porter,  and  the  two  imme- 
diately became  great  friends. 

As  the  weather  remained  fine  it  was  decided  to 
start  on  the  return  to  Christiania  without  delay. 
Mr.  Porter  took  Granbury  Lapham's  place  in  the 
sleigh,  and  the  party  took  with  them  a  good  stock 
of  provisions.  The  journey  was  not  without  ex- 
citement, for  they  met  and  killed  two  wolves,  and 
once  they  rolled  down  a  small  hill  and  were 
dumped  in  the  snow,  but  in  the  end  they  arrived 
safely  at  the  nearest  railroad  station,  and  from  that 
point  the  remainder  of  the  trip  was  easy. 

At  the  Norwegian  capital  a  long  cablegram  was 
sent  to  Dunston  Porter  by  Dave  and  his  father, 
telling  of  their  meeting  and  stating  that  they  and 
Roger  would  return  to  the  United  States  at  once. 
They  also  wanted  to  send  a  cablegram  to  Laura, 
but  could  not,  for  they  did  not  know  her  exact 
address. 

"I  shall  have  to  wait  until  I  hear  from  her,  or 
until  we  get  on  the  other  side,"  said  Mr.  Porter. 
"More  than  likely  she  is  somewhere  out  West, — 
perhaps  on  Mr.  Endicott's  ranch  with  Belle  Endi- 
cott,  her  friend.  I  had  the  address  of  the  ranch, 
but  I  lost  it  while  I  was  up  in  the  mountains." 


282    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

From  Christiania,  or  rather  the  seaport,  Dro- 
bak,  they  obtained  passage  on  a  swift-sailing  vessel 
to  Hull,  and  then  took  a  train  across  England  to 
Liverpool.  They  had  already  telegraphed  ahead 
for  staterooms  on  a  Cunard  steamer  bound  for  Bos- 
ton, and  two  hours  after  arriving  at  Liverpool 
were  on  board  and  leaving  the  dock. 

"This  is  fast  traveling,"  remarked  Roger,  as 
they  stood  on  the  deck,  watching  the  shipping  scene 
around  them.  "In  less  than  a  week  we'll  be  home. 
Dave,  in  some  respects  our  trip  to  Norway  seems 
like  a  dream." 

"That  is  true,  Roger — but  what  a  happy 
dream!"  And  Dave's  face  fairly  beamed  with 
thankfulness. 

When  they  took  the  train  from  Boston  to  Crum- 
ville  Dave  could  scarcely  control  himself.  Word 
had  been  sent  ahead  to  the  Wadsworths  and  Caspar 
Potts,  and  at  the  depot  the  travelers  found  all  of 
their  friends  awaiting  them.  Mr.  Porter  was 
quickly  introduced,  and  shook  hands  warmly  all 
around. 

"Oh,  Dave,  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you  back!"  cried 
Jessie.  "And  to  think  you  have  really  found  your 
father  at  last !  Isn't  it  splendid !" 

"Yes,  Jessie;  and  if  I'm  not  the  happiest  boy  in 
the  world — well,  I  ought  to  be,  that's  all." 

"And  what  a  fine  man  he  is — and  looks  very 
much  like  your  Uncle  Dunston,  and  looks  like  you, 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION          283 

too,"  added  the  girl.  She  lowered  her  voice  and  it 
trembled  a  little.  "I  am  so  happy — for  your  sake, 
Dave!"  And  the  tears  stood  in  her  deep,  honest 
eyes. 

It  was  truly  a  great  home-coming,  and  Dave's 
father  was  told  to  make  himself  perfectly  at  ease 
by  Mr.  Wadsworth. 

"You  have  been  more  than  kind  to  Dave,"  said 
Mr.  Porter.  "You  and  your  family,  and  Pro- 
fessor Potts.  Dave  has  told  me  all  about  it.  I 
do  not  know  if  I  can  ever  repay  you,  but  I  shall 
try  my  best."  And  he  shook  hands  all  over  again. 

On  the  very  day  that  Dave  reached  Crumville 
came  a  letter  from  Phil  Lawrence,  who  had  re- 
ceived word  that  Dave  was  coming  home.  In  this 
communication  Phil  said  that  matters  were  run- 
ning smoothly  at  Oak  Hall.  Sam  Day  and  Ben 
Basswood  had  had  some  trouble  with  Nat  Poole, 
and  the  dude  had  received  a  well-deserved  thrash- 
ing. Gus  Plum  was  keeping  very  quiet,  and  had 
made  a  few  more  friends. 

"You  will  be  surprised  to  hear  the  news  about 
Link  Merwell,"  wrote  Phil.  "I  cannot  tell  you 
the  start  of  it,  but  it  ended  in  a  great  row  between 
Merwell  and  Mr.  Dale.  Merwell  is  very  bitter 
about  it,  and  claims  that  I  in  some  way  got  him 
into  trouble.  He  went  home  for  a  vacation,  and 
before  he  left  he  shook  his  fist  in  my  face  and  said, 


284    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Til  get  even  with  you  some  day,  and  I'll  get  even 
with  that  friend  of  yours,  Dave  Porter,  too.'  He 
was  fearfully  ugly,  and  acted  as  if  he  wanted  to 
eat  somebody  up." 

"Humph,  that  is  cheerful  news,"  remarked 
Roger,  after  Dave  had  shown  him  the  letter. 
"Dave,  you  want  to  watch  out  for  Merwell." 

"I  certainly  will,  Roger.  Don't  you  remember 
what  I  once  said?  In  some  respects  he  is  a  worse 
chap  than  Nick  Jasniff  and  a  good  deal  worse  than 
Gus  Plum  ever  was."  And  that  Dave  was  correct 
will  be  proved  in  the  next  volume  of  this  series,  to 
be  entitled,  "Dave  Porter  and  His  Classmates;  or, 
For  the  Honor  of  Oak  Hall."  In  that  volume  we 
shall  meet  all  our  friends  again,  and  also  Laura 
Porter,  and  learn  how  Dave  met  the  underhanded 
work  of  Link  Merwell  and  what  was  the  result. 

On  Friday  evening  following  Dave's  return  to 
the  Wadsworth  home  he  was  surprised  to  receive 
a  visit  from  Phil,  Ben,  Sam,  and  Shadow.  They 
burst  into  the  house  like  a  cyclone  and  nearly 
hugged  him  to  death,  and  then  shook  hands  all 
around,  not  forgetting  Dave's  father,  who  was 
quickly  introduced. 

"We  simply  couldn't  stay  away,"  said  Phil. 
"We  stormed  Doctor  Clay's  office  and  he  let  us 
off  until  Monday  morning." 

"We  want  to  hear  all  about  your  adventures  in 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION          285 

the  far  north,"  added  Ben.  "How  you  discovered 
the  North  Pole,  and  shot  bears  and  wolves " 

"And  gave  Nick  Jasniff  his  set-back,"  inter- 
rupted Sam.  "And  how  you  found  your  father."' 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  said 
Shadow.  "A  fellow  once " 

"Hold  hard,  Shadow!"  interrupted  Phil. 
"Dave  has  the  floor  this  time.  Your  stories  must 
wait  until  he's  through." 

"All  right,"  answered  the  story-teller  of  the 
school,  cheerfully.  "I'd  rather  listen  to  Dave, 
anyway,  for  I  know  he's  got  something  worth 
telling." 

And  then  all  sat  down,  and  Dave  told  his  tale, 
just  as  I  have  related  it  here.  It  took  until  mid- 
night, and  when  he  had  finished,  all  said  good- 
night to  each  other  and  went  to  bed.  And  here 
let  us  say  good-night,  too. 


THE  END 


RET 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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